Just One Chance
by AmunRa
Summary: Team 7 Gen After 6 years, Naruto and Sakura save Sasuke from Orochimaru and bring him home. When a neighboring village threatens to invade, Konoha will have to put aside its hatred and mistrust of Naruto and Sasuke in order to survive.
1. A Promise Fulfilled

Greetings! I'm new to the Naruto fandom, though not to fan fiction. The idea for this got into my head after the umpteenth time I watched the battle at the Valley of the End (it was better than the endless fillers) and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. I lost this chapter shortly after I finished writing it, which I took to be a very bad sign to not post it at all. Alas, I rewrote it and am going to take my chances anyway.

**Story conventions**: I follow the Japanese anime, so I am using the Japanese names for villages, techniques, and weapons (mainly because I have only watched two episodes of the dub and have no clue what all of this stuff is called in English). I will also use the honorifics, since they're such a big part of the culture, and will keep the Japanese order for the names (family name followed by given name).

**Spoilers**: If you haven't watched through at least episode 135 of the anime, you're going to be spoiled. This story is slightly AU because it jumps forward in time and addresses the issue of "what if?" I don't know how the manga will eventually turn out, but this is my take.

**Disclaimer**: The characters do not belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for a bit and I promise to return them in mint condition.

**Warnings**: None for this chapter.

I think that's all. I hope you enjoy the story.

&&&&

**Chapter 1: A Promise Fulfilled**

The crunch of dead leaves beneath his feet was the only sound in the vast forest that surrounded him. Whatever wildlife inhabited the forest had fled at the first sign of battle, and dead bodies now rested where squirrels and birds had before. It would take nature a long time to restore the area to what it was just a day ago. The precious burden in his arms was heavy, and it took everything he had left not to drop to his knees in exhaustion. Everything he'd done to get to this point had been worth it and he would not allow the limitations of his body to ruin what he'd narrowly accomplished.

He could only recall pieces of the battle that had just taken place. He wasn't even sure how long it had taken. It could have been hours, or days. He remembered defeating the guards that had been placed outside of the hideout, and then sneaking inside. What happened once he'd breached the main defenses was all a blur. His civilian clothing, which he'd worn because he was not on an official mission from his village, was torn and stained with blood, both his enemy's and his own. His body was bruised, battered, and cut open, but he was still on his feet. If anyone had been left alive to follow him, he'd be easy to find due to the trail of blood he was leaving behind.

This was his personal mission, 6 years in the making, so he'd come alone. If he'd failed, he would have died alone, leaving nothing behind to condemn his village and give the target a reason to attack it. They'd already tried that once, and had been defeated only by a narrow margin. He had no doubt that any excuse to attack again would have been pounced upon, and he loved his village too much to put it in that kind of danger. The precious burden he now carried, along with the dead bodies that littered the forest floor, were his proof that he had not failed. He only hoped that he could get them both back to the village before their injuries took their toll on them.

He shifted the body of the unconscious young man in his arms so that he could look at the face. It had been so long since he'd seen it that he found himself blinking several times to make sure that the young man wasn't going to disappear. The last time they'd crossed paths was when Oto had attacked Konoha a year and a half ago. The young man in his arms had not been himself back then. His body had been moving, but the young man had not been the one in control. Seeing him, hearing him, watching him destroy and kill with no mercy, had torn his heart to shreds and he had to keep reminding himself that his friend was not the one doing those horrendous deeds. His friend was probably watching from somewhere deep inside his mind, unable to stop what Orochimaru did with his body.

That incident, their first confrontation since their battle at the Valley of the End, had been the turning point for him and had reminded him of the promise he'd made Sakura when he was twelve. He hadn't been able to fulfill it before Orochimaru had switched bodies again, which had thrown him into a depression where the only important things in his life were training and his missions. Jiraiya had been ecstatic to have such a dedicated and focused student and had taught him everything he knew, which had allowed him to rise in the ranks to jounin. The attack on Konoha, and subsequent confrontation with his friend, had made him realize that he was the only one that could change the situation. Orochimaru was a threat, and the only acceptable way to get rid of that threat involved saving his friend. No one else in the village, except for Sakura and maybe Kakashi, saw the situation the same way. The Hokage had given an order to kill Orochimaru on sight, which meant that he had to get to Orochimaru first so that his friend wouldn't suffer the consequences of that order.

The research that the Fourth Hokage had undertaken before he sealed the nine-tailed fox had been invaluable in finding a way to remove Orochimaru's soul from the host's body. The Fifth Hokage had not given him permission to access the Fourth's secret scrolls, but Sakura, who worked for the Fifth, had no qualms about sneaking them out for him. They'd agonized over the research for a year and a half on their own, before they'd been able to formulate a technique for the removal and destruction of Orochimaru's soul. They told no one about what they planned on doing, because what they had planned was on the level of Orochimaru's forbidden techniques, which carried a penalty of death. If he succeeded, they'd deal with the consequences later. If he failed, he would be the only one to pay the price.

The pain of his knees hitting the ground forced him out of his thoughts. He hissed in pain as every limb stung with the impact. He clutched his precious burden closer to him as he attempted to keep himself from falling face first onto the ground. He had a feeling that if he fell, he would not be able to get up again and he had a long way to go until he could get back to the village. He managed to get one leg underneath him, before the knee gave out and sent him sprawling to the ground. The young man he was carrying fell on top of him, and the young man's long, dark hair covered them both like a curtain. He gently pushed the young man off of him and laid him down on the ground beside him. He put his right hand on the young man's chest and smiled in relief when he felt the chest moving up and down with the young man's breaths.

"Don't worry, Sasuke," Naruto said, his voice hoarse and almost inaudible. "I've come way too far to fail now. I'll get us home one way or another, I promise."

Naruto brushed Sasuke's hair out of his face and again rested his right hand on Sasuke's chest.

"I keep my promises."

&&&&

"That idiotic, good for nothing, reckless, impulsive, stupid kid, is going to get himself killed," Jiraiya fumed as he rode on top of Gamabunta. "I can't believe he took off on this suicidal mission by himself. What was he thinking?"

"What do you expect, Jiraiya," Gamabunta contributed in his rumbling voice. "Since when has Naruto shown any restraint when it comes to his friends?"

"I should have seen it coming. If I hadn't managed to pull the truth out of Sakura…"

Jiraiya trailed off, knowing that he could already be too late in reaching Naruto. For all he knew, the young man had already been slaughtered by Orochimaru or his minions. When Naruto had failed to show up for training, which he religiously attended, Jiraiya had been concerned. After failing to find Naruto at home, he'd gone in search of Naruto's closest friend, Shikamaru, to see if he knew anything about the wayward blonde, but had discovered that the young ANBU was on a mission. He'd then tracked Sakura down, and it was through her that he'd found out about their crazy scheme to bring Sasuke back to Konoha. She had not been cooperative at first, but after Jiraiya had painted a picture of just how bad it could get for Naruto if Orochimaru captured him, and he promised not to go to Tsunade until after the mission was over, she'd told him. He was now on his way to Orochimaru's hideout, hoping against hope that his student was still alive.

"Naruto has always made it clear that he would not give up on Sasuke," Gamabunta said, breaking into Jiraiya's thoughts. "You should have expected this."

Jiraiya's guilt reared its ugly head, as it inevitably did when the subject of Orochimaru came up. It was, ironically enough, a conversation with Naruto that had brought even more guilt about the subject. They'd been training when the subject had come up. Naruto had been so adamant about getting Sasuke back, and Jiraiya had tried to point out to him that at eighteen, he was still too young and too inexperienced to stand a chance against a man like Orochimaru. He'd mentioned that he, Tsunade, and Sarutobi, with their combined experience, had not been able to do anything to stop him. It had been the wrong thing to say; the conversation that followed was not one that Jiraiya was ever going to forget.

&&&&

"_It's your fault, sensei." _

_Jiraiya raised an eyebrow in amusement, and slight puzzlement, at the accusation. _

"_What exactly is my fault, oh wise Naruto," he asked. _

"_Orochimaru," the seventeen-year-old stated and crossed his arms over his chest. "Sasuke too," he added in that tone that dared anyone to challenge him. _

"_Sasuke's defection is my fault?" Jiraiya asked. _

_While he was amused at Naruto's reasoning, he couldn't help but notice the set to Naruto's shoulders and jaw. Sasuke was a painful subject for the teenager and he never brought it up. The fact that he was doing so now meant that whatever he had to say was something he'd spent a great deal of time thinking about and had just been waiting for the right opportunity to bring it up. His student had grown over the past five years, and a great deal of maturity had come from that process. Naruto was still loud, annoying, and rash, but underneath the façade he had a sharp mind and great attention for detail. The time he and Shikamaru had spent together had rubbed off on the blonde, and Jiraiya had been surprised time and again at how much Naruto's strategic knowledge had grown. It also meant that now Naruto's arguments held substance and couldn't be as easily dismissed. _

"_Sasuke might have been a conceited bastard with a one track mind when it came to killing his brother, but he was not power hungry. He didn't ask to be cursed by Orochimaru. That was done against Sasuke's will."_

"_Sasuke chose to leave the village," Jiraiya pointed out. "Orochimaru didn't force him to do it."_

"_Didn't he?" Naruto countered. "The curse seal works by altering the recipient's mind, warping what desires that person already has. Like I said, Sasuke might have had a one track mind when it came to Itachi, but if Orochimaru hadn't placed that seal on him, he might not have felt that leaving Konoha was the only way for him to accomplish his goal. There were other ways to attain enough power to go after Itachi. Going to Orochimaru wasn't his only option, but the snake made him believe that it was."_

_Jiraiya chose to remain silent. He had a feeling that Naruto was just getting started. He had to admit that the though had crossed his mind, though. He hadn't had many dealings with the young Uchiha, but from what Jiraiya knew of the young man, he didn't think that he had been crazy or bent on domination as Orochimaru had been. He'd survived a devastating attack on his family, his clan, that had left him traumatized and with a desire for revenge. That, in and of itself, was not all that unique. Jiraiya had harbored his own need for revenge once or twice in his lifetime, and he'd never been tempted to turn to a man like Orochimaru for that kind of power. Had the curse seal been the factor that pushed Uchiha Sasuke over the edge? _

"_You, the old lady, and the Third, are responsible for Orochimaru."_

_The statement hung in the air like a razor sharp kunai waiting for a target. Naruto looked at him and his eyes were that curious mixture of blue and red that he got when he was angry. At the moment the teenager in front of him looked so much like his former student that for a moment, Jiraiya forgot that he was talking to Naruto and was instead being grilled by the man who would later become Hokage. The spell was broken when Naruto spoke once again. _

"_You knew he was insane and needed to be stopped, but you let him go. The Third had a chance to kill him, to end the madness and prevent the bloodshed that he's caused, but he didn't. You had a chance to do the same, but did not."_

_Jiraiya's anger flared at the mention of something he'd told Naruto one day when they'd both been slightly intoxicated from the sake Jiraiya had snuck into the training session. He'd had a moment of weakness and had revealed what he perceived as his greatest failure. Naruto had no right to throw that back in his face. _

"_I sense your anger, sensei," Naruto said. "Are you angry because you know I'm right or because I don't have a right to meddle in your life?"_

_Jiraiya's jaw clenched and he fought the urge to turn away from the teenager's stare. Orochimaru was his greatest failure and that was still an open, and bleeding, wound. _

"_Don't you think I know what we've done?" Jiraiya finally said. "Do you think that I didn't try? Like you and Sasuke at the Valley of the End, I couldn't beat him when I tried to stop him. It was a miracle that he left me alive and I still don't know why he did. It must have been some sick sense of humor."_

_Naruto's face darkened at the mention of what he perceived as his own greatest failure, but it was clear to Jiraiya that he was not going to back down. _

"_The difference between us is that unlike you, Tsunade, and Sarutobi, Sakura and I have taken responsibility for Sasuke. We will stop Orochimaru, Jiraiya. We will save Sasuke, or we will die trying."_

&&&&

"Hey, Jiraiya, snap out of it!"

Gamabunta's voice forced him back to the present.

"What's so important that you had to space out?" the toad boss asked.

"Naruto and I had a conversation about Orochimaru about a year ago," he replied. "He mentioned that he and Sakura would save Sasuke, and I should have taken that to heart a lot more than I did. Knowing Naruto, I should have known that he was already planning something."

"The kid is gutsy and is loyal to his friends. A lot of people can learn from that."

They traveled in silence until they reached the outskirts of Oto. He dismissed Gamabunta so that he could go in stealthily, and the toad said he'd be ready to return when necessary.

The first thing Jiraiya noticed when he was close enough to the hideout was that the forest was completely devoid of life. The second thing he noticed was the chakra residue. He knew that chakra well, because he'd trained the man that wielded it for the past 6 years. The third thing he noticed was the nauseating smell of blood and death. It hung over the forest like a shroud and he had to fight the temptation to pinch his nose in order to block out the smell. A lot of people had died here today, and he hoped that his wayward student wasn't one of them.

He reached out with his senses, on the look out for either Naruto or Orochimaru. It was a blow to the gut to find that while both chakras were still very much active, they were very close to one another. He didn't hear the sounds of battle, so he could only guess about what Naruto and Orochimaru were doing so close together.

Without a second thought, he dashed off in the direction of the chakra, not caring about being detected. As close as he was, they had to have noticed him by now so stealth no longer mattered. He'd been running for a few minutes when he came upon a clearing. In the middle of it he spotted Naruto, who took step after clumsy step in a direction only he could determine. The blonde was covered from head to toe in blood and Jiraiya couldn't tell how much of it was his own. He was carrying Orochimaru, who was either dead or unconscious. The way Naruto held on to the young man made Jiraiya think that he was unconscious and not dead. He'd have to get closer and speak to Naruto to find out why he was carrying his enemy.

"Naruto," Jiraiya said when he was close enough to the blonde.

The young man didn't immediately respond. When he raised his head, Jiraiya noticed that his eyes were red.

"Ero-senin," Naruto whispered, falling back on the name that he hadn't used in years, "what are you doing here?"

Naruto looked like it was taking everything he had left to remain on his feet. His eyes were half lidded and the hold he had on Orochimaru was shaky at best. Orochimaru's head was nestled in the crook of Naruto's neck and it took everything Jiraiya had not to reach out and fling the man aside. He would hear Naruto out first.

"Sakura told me about your insane plan. I came to either talk you out of it or help."

Naruto's lips twitched into a ghost of a smile and he looked down at Orochimaru.

"I did it, sensei."

Jiraiya took a step closer to examine the unconscious man. He looked as he had the last time Jiraiya had seem him, with the exception of the numerous bruises and cuts on his face and body.

"Look at his chest," Naruto said.

Confused, Jiraiya lifted Orochimaru's shirt until he could see the man's chest. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"Use chakra," Naruto instructed.

The sannin did as he was told and was surprised to see a seal very similar to Naruto's appear on the right side of the chest, very close to the underarm.

"I was desperate," Naruto said. "Orochimaru was about to kill me and I couldn't reach any other part of the body."

Jiraiya removed his hand and let the shirt cover the young man's chest once again. He looked at his student one more time and couldn't find the words for what he wanted to ask. He finally settled on what came into his mind first.

"What does the seal do?"

Naruto coughed, and blood dribbled onto his chin and Orochimaru's chest.

"Repel," Naruto said. "My seal keeps the nine-tailed fox in, this seal keeps Orochimaru out. It's just Sasuke in there now."

Jiraiya reached to take the body from Naruto, but the young man wouldn't release him.

"What about Orochimaru?"

Naruto coughed again and swayed. "The soul was destroyed. He couldn't get back into Sasuke, couldn't get into me, and everyone else was dead."

Naruto, having finally exhausted all of his remaining strength, dropped to his knees. Jiraiya caught them both before they could fall completely and lowered them gently to the ground.

"Did Sasuke wake up? Are you sure it's him?"

Naruto shook his head. "He's been unconscious since I placed the seal on him."

Naruto and Sasuke, if that really was just Sasuke, both needed urgent medical attention. Among their many other injuries, Sasuke had what looked like an injury from the Rasengan, while Naruto had an injury that looked to have been caused by the Chidori. He didn't know how Naruto was still awake and able to move, and he needed to be taken to Tsunade immediately. However, if Naruto was wrong and Orochimaru was not gone, taking Sasuke back to the village would be suicide. As if reading his thoughts, Naruto spoke.

"I'm right, sensei. Please trust me."

Naruto's eyes were no longer red. They had returned to the clear blue they almost always were and were pleading for Jiraiya to believe him. Naruto had not had many people in his life trust him and the sannin had never had a reason not to trust his student.

"Okay, Naruto, I'll take you back to the village."

Naruto nodded and finally let go of the tight control that had kept him going for who knew how long. The teenager lost consciousness, but managed to retain his hold on his friend. Jiraiya untangled Sasuke's body from Naruto's grasp and laid them both against the nearest tree. Jiraiya smoothed back Naruto's golden hair and smiled sadly.

"You did well, kid. You kept your promise."

He summoned Gamabunta once again and immediately took off towards the village. Once they were halfway there, Jiraiya also summoned Gamakichi.

"Get to Tsunade and tell her to meet me at Naruto's apartment," Jiraiya instructed the smaller toad. "Don't tell her why, but tell her to bring Shizune. If she starts arguing, tell her that it's about Orochimaru."

Gamakichi had known Jiraiya long enough to know when to just follow orders and not waste time, so once he'd received his instructions, he simply disappeared, leaving Jiraiya alone with his thoughts and two seriously wounded teenagers. While his concern was primarily for Naruto, his eyes kept falling on Sasuke. The last time he'd seen the teenager was after Orochimaru's battle with Naruto, in which Naruto had almost been killed once again. Jiraiya had gone after his former teammate with everything he had, despite being put slightly off guard by Orochimaru's new appearance. The snake's voice and his attitude had still been the same as Jiraiya remembered, however, which had made it a little easier to fight him. His anger over what had been done to Naruto and his guilt over how Orochimaru had turned out had taken over, and he hadn't even stopped to consider how Naruto would react if he'd succeeded in killing Orochimaru, and by association killed Sasuke. In the end, Orochimaru had retreated, leaving Jiraiya with a nearly dead student, a nearly dead jounin, and a frantic medic ninja. He'd rushed the kid and the jounin to Tsunade, and she'd worked her magic. When Naruto was recovering from his injuries, Jiraiya had promised Naruto that he wouldn't allow him to face Orochimaru on his own again. It was a promise that he hadn't been able to keep.

Naruto's whimper drew Jiraiya's attention. He got closer to his student and laid a head on the kid's forehead, which was hot with fever. Jiraiya wasn't sure if Naruto was suffering from his injuries, or from the images his mind was undoubtedly supplying him with. After all, getting to Orochimaru had meant that Naruto had to get through his entire army first. The nine-tailed fox's chakra may have helped give Naruto the extra power he needed to defeat Orochimaru's minions, but Naruto was the one who would have to live with the consequences. Naruto had killed before; as a ninja, it was part of the job. Mass killings, however, were another thing entirely, regardless of the circumstances, and Jiraiya had no doubt that Naruto was going to suffer greatly over what he'd had to do.

"We're here."

Gamabunta maneuvered them to Naruto's building, which was thankfully located towards the back, and sparsely populated, part of the village. Ironically enough, Naruto lived very close to the abandoned Uchiha neighborhood. Jiraiya had asked the kid once why he'd chosen to live so close to a place where so many people had been killed, and he said that seeing the empty houses as he came home every day reminded him of his lost friend and the promise he'd made to Sakura. Many people believed that the place was haunted, so they steered clear of the area. Naruto liked the solitude, and Jiraiya had to admit that it came in handy once in a while.

Gamabunta stopped directly underneath Naruto's balcony, and Jiraiya picked up Naruto and took him up first. He fished the keys out of Naruto's pocket and unlocked the sliding glass door. He set Naruto on the couch and went into the bedroom to get the spare futon out of the closet. He spread it out on the living room floor and then brought Sasuke inside and laid him on the futon. He dismissed Gamabunta with a promise to keep him updated on Naruto's condition, and settled down to wait for Tsunade.

It wasn't long before the door to Naruto's apartment opened and Tsunade rushed in, with Shizune on her heels. The woman took one step inside, saw the occupants of the living room, and stopped. Her jaw dropped open in surprise and she started from one man to the other, until her gaze finally rested on Jiraiya.

"Are you insane? Why did you bring Orochimaru back here? Do you want to give him the opportunity to finish what he started a year and a half ago?"

Jiraiya took a deep breath and counted to thirty. The wait for an answer annoyed Tsunade enough that a vein throbbed in her forehead. Once he was sure he wouldn't say something to make matters worse, Jiraiya finally spoke.

"Naruto took it upon himself to not only kill Orochimaru, but free Sasuke. The boy on the futon is no longer possessed."

Tsunade did not immediately reply. Instead, she looked from one teenager to the other. She shook her head and clenched and unclenched her hands as if she weren't sure about what she should do first. Finally, she stepped towards Naruto and removed his bloodied shirt.

"Shizune, take care of Uchiha," she said and Shizune immediately got to work.

After long minutes of silence, Tsunade spoke.

"It looks like they almost killed each other," she said. "Naruto's chest is a mess. It's a miracle he didn't go into cardiac arrest."

More silence, in which medical chakra flowed and Tsunade muttered about stupid little boys who needed to learn to follow orders and not get maimed and almost killed every year. Jiraiya found the mutterings disturbing, because they showed just how scared Tsunade was about Naruto's condition. If she was this angry, Naruto must be really bad off.

"Tsunade-sama, take a look at this."

Both sannin gave the medic ninja their full attention. Tsunade gasped when she got a look at what Shizune was pointing at and Jiraiya leaned in to get a better look at what he'd only gotten a glimpse of in the forest.

"Naruto did this?" Shizune asked Jiraiya.

"Yes. I wasn't present for it, but who else could have?"

"This looks like the seal on Naruto," Tsunade whispered. "How did he learn…" she trailed off and then turned on Jiraiya as a thought struck her, "did you know about this? Did you condone this type of experimentation?"

Jiraiya held up his hands, well aware of what kind of damage Tsunade could inflict when angry.

"I had no idea. I had to literally pull the story out of Sakura when I became concerned after Naruto skipped training. I went after him as soon as I realized what he was going to do."

Tsunade, who had already been angry, became even more so at the mention of her own student.

"Sakura," she hissed. "I should have known."

Tsunade and Shizune both returned to their healing, while Jiraiya watched them. They were the best two medical ninjas Konoha had to offer, and he greatly respected and admired both for their talents, though he'd never actually admit it to them. While they worked on the two teenagers, Jiraiya went to Naruto's kitchen, fixed something to keep their energy replenished, and made sure that they ate it. Hours later, well into the next day, they both sank to their knees, spent. Jiraiya handed them cups of tea, which they took gratefully. They sat in tense silence until Tsunade broke it.

"They'll be fine," she finally said. "Their bodies took a lot of damage, but with plenty of rest, they should be back to normal in a few weeks. That is, until I break every bone in Naruto's body for the stunt he pulled." She sipped her tea, and her eyes hardened as they landed on Sasuke. "I want you to keep an eye on him for the time being, Jiraiya. You brought him here so I'm making him your responsibility. He is not to leave this apartment until I have made sure that Orochimaru is indeed gone. Even without Orochimaru, Uchiha Sasuke is a missing nin and should be considered dangerous in his own right. He's lucky I didn't just let him die."

"Naruto would not have forgiven you if you'd done that," Jiraiya pointed out.

"The blonde idiot is in enough trouble already," she countered. "I'll send a squad of ANBU to guard the apartment tonight and you will tell me as soon as he wakes up. As far as Naruto is concerned, send him to my office when he wakes up. I'll take care of Sakura and Naruto at the same time"

Without another word, both women left the apartment. Jiraiya stared at the closed door for a long while, half expecting it to open once again. Tsunade had been uncharacteristically restrained, which didn't bode well for any of them. All three of them were in for a showing of the woman's legendary temper once the two teenagers were up and about. He was not looking forward to that.

Sighing in resignation, he went to Naruto's bedroom and removed the comforter from the bed and grabbed and extra one from the closet. He covered both boys and settled with his back against the couch Naruto was laying on, facing Sasuke. It was going to be a long night.

&&&&

"_Hey, Sasuke, what are you going to do after you kill Itachi?"_

_Sasuke fought the urge to groan at the question. He ignored it in favor of regaining his breath. The spar had left him exhausted, but he was not about to show his opponent that. Ever spar that he and Naruto had was better than the last, which meant that both boys ended up more beat up and even more tired. Naruto had been steadily progressing, a fact that Sasuke did not miss. His training with Jiraiya was definitely paying off, and Sasuke made a mental note to speak to Kakashi about increasing his own training. Kakashi would probably complain, but he'd just have to live with it. After all, it wouldn't be good for Sasuke's reputation if he lost to the blonde idiot. _

"_Why do you care, idiot?" Sasuke managed to growl out. _

_He bent at the waist to hide his face, but turned to the side when he heard approaching footsteps. Naruto bent as well so that they were facing each other. When Naruto had Sasuke's attention, he grinned. _

"_Come on, Sasuke, don't be such a sore loser." Naruto said._

_This time, Sasuke did groan. _

"_I didn't lose and you didn't win, Naruto. It's called a draw."_

_Naruto shrugged and dropped to the ground next to where Sasuke was standing. He crossed his arms and stared up at him. "So, what are you going to do?"_

_Sasuke didn't remember when they had started this, but it had become such a part of their spars that neither boy fought it anymore. As a reward for a good spar, each got to ask one question. The other boy had to answer the question, regardless of what was asked. It had started out as a dare from Naruto and Sasuke, being a person who never backs down from a challenge, had gladly taken the dare. Now it was routine. He'd gotten to ask Naruto about the villager's hate for him after their last spar, and while Naruto hadn't told him why the villager's hated him, which he hadn't directly asked about, Naruto had told him a few stories about things the villagers had done. Today, it was Naruto's turn to ask and as much as Sasuke hated talking about Itachi, he was not going to back down from their unspoken deal. _

"_I don't know," Sasuke answered truthfully as he sat down beside Naruto. "I haven't thought that far ahead. Since my family was murdered, all I could think of was killing Itachi. I made that my purpose in life, but I never really thought about what I would do after."_

_Naruto regarded him for a moment, before he nodded once in acceptance of the answer. It was a long time until he spoke again. "We'll be there to help you pick up the pieces, Sasuke. Count on it."_

&&&&_  
_

The memory floated away like a feather caught in a lazy breeze, leaving Sasuke surrounded by darkness. He much preferred the darkness of his self made prison deep inside his mind to the horrors of the outside world. Once Orochimaru had taken over, Sasuke had retained full awareness of what was going on outside of his body, without the ability to control any part of it. The death and destruction that Orochimaru liked to surround himself with sickened Sasuke, so he avoided contact with the snake as much as possible.

His memories, just like every other part of him, had been tainted by Orochimaru. The snake had gained Sasuke's memories and he liked to use those to torment Sasuke, especially when he found that he could twist the memories to suit his dark pleasures. At the same time, Sasuke had gained Orochimaru's memories, which at first had displeased the snake greatly. Once he'd found out that Sasuke was disgusted by them, he'd taken great pleasure in showing them to him over and over. He especially liked to show Sasuke how he'd killed the Third Hokage.

Every now and then, when Orochimaru was dormant or injured, Sasuke was able to regain control of his body. When he first realized he could do it, he'd taken the opportunity to try and overpower Orochimaru. That had failed miserably, however. Once Orochimaru had learned that Sasuke was still alive and aware, he'd punished him by showing Sasuke things that would have left most grown men cowering in fear. Orochimaru also liked to inflict a great deal of pain. In the end, Sasuke retreated and Orochimaru eventually decided that it was more fun to have Sasuke around to torture than to get rid of him. It had become a game to him, and a living death to Sasuke.

The sensation of warmth on his face slowly dragged Sasuke out of his train of thought. Once that one sense had been triggered, Sasuke began to feel other things, like the breeze that caressed his cheek or the sweet smell of cherry blossoms. He had to wonder if he was not just imagining that last one. After all, Oto didn't have any cherry blossoms and Sasuke hadn't smelled one since he left Konoha. As time passed, he began to be aware of more and more things, like the dull ache in his chest and the throbbing headache.

His first instinct upon realizing that he had control of his body was to retreat so as not to make Orochimaru aware of the fact, but he fought that. Curiosity got the better of him and he wanted to see just how far he could retain control before Orochimaru realized it. He wondered what had happened to immobilize Orochimaru enough to drive him deep into his subconscious. It didn't matter, though. The more he practiced precise control and manipulation, the better chance he had to regain permanent control of his body.

Slowly, as if walking through a mine field, Sasuke took a deep breath and relished in the feel of his chest rising with the intake and lowering with the exhalation. He moved the fingers of his right hand and winced at the sharp pain that accompanied the movement. The breeze ruffled his hair, which tickled his cheek. He almost smiled at the sensation, but managed to catch himself in time.

He was afraid to open his eyes, because he didn't want this to be just another dream or another twisted illusion. Orochimaru had tricked him with illusions similar to this before and, as much as Sasuke hated to admit it, it would wound him deeply if he fell for another one. Deciding that not knowing whether or not he was really in control was worse, Sasuke finally opened his eyes. He blinked several times to clear his vision and when he did, found himself starting at something he never thought he'd see again: the symbol of Konoha. He was so shocked at what he was seeing that he forgot all about his fear of alerting Orochimaru that he was in control. He sat up on the bed and stared at the scroll that hung on the wall beside the bed. The scroll was not very big, and the paper looked yellowed with age, but it was apparent that whoever had put it on the wall held great respect for it.

Sasuke's eyes wandered around the strange room. It was bright, well lit, and colorful. It didn't look like any of the rooms in Oto. It certainly wasn't his room, because his room was underground and didn't have a window. It also wasn't Orochimaru's, or Kabuto's room, both of which he was very familiar with. He got off the bed and continued his inspection of the room, until his eyes landed on a framed photograph on top of the dresser by the window.

When Sasuke reached for the photograph, he saw that his hand was shaking. He carefully examined the four people in the photograph: the teacher, with his half covered face, the girl with her bright smile, and the two boys, one wearing a scowl and one gritting his teeth in anger. Everyone in the photo looked so young, so innocent, even though Sasuke know that wasn't the case for anyone in that photo. When he picked up the photograph, he'd uncovered what had been placed behind it. He picked that up with his left hand and ran his finger over the scratch that bisected the Konoha symbol. He remembered the forehead protector coming lose and falling off of his head when he'd collapsed in front of Naruto coughing blood. He hadn't paid attention to it then, because it had just been one more symbol of his decision to cut ties with the village of his birth. He'd never expected to see it again.

Distracted, Sasuke made his way to the window. It was mid-morning and the sun shone brightly into the room. The brightness had to be playing with his vision, because Sasuke thought he saw his old neighborhood in the distance. That wasn't possible, because he was not in Konoha anymore. What was going on? Where was he? Had Orochimaru found a new way to torment him?

"You're awake."

Startled, Sasuke turned towards the sound of the voice, and almost dropped the items he was holding when he saw Jiraiya standing by the door. The sannin regarded him carefully and didn't bother to hide the kunai he held. Sasuke didn't feel any malice towards him, however, just caution.

"Where am I?" Sasuke asked, glad to hear that his voice was steady.

If this was a dream, why would he be dreaming about Jiraiya? Sasuke had barely known the man. Then again, Orochimaru had known him very well and because of that, Sasuke did now as well. If this was an illusion, then Orochimaru was using his old teammate to remind Sasuke about his own teammate, the one he could never get along with but had somehow ended up becoming close friends with. Sasuke steeled himself for whatever was to come. He was determined not to show the snake any weakness, no matter what was thrown at him.

"You're in Naruto's apartment, where you've been unconscious for the past five days."

"What? Why would I be in Naruto's apartment?" Sasuke asked before he could stop himself.

The fact that he was talking, and Orochimaru hadn't already wrestled control back from him, should have been a sign that something was very different. Sasuke, however, was focused on whatever new game he was being forced to play. He'd learned from experience to catch on to the rules quickly or pay dearly for the consequences.

Jiraiya walked more fully into the room but stopped when Sasuke took as many steps away from him. He put the kunai back in its holster, which made Sasuke aware of the fact that he was not armed. He was no match for the sannin even if he was armed, but weapons would definitely make him feel better. He turned slightly to gauge the distance to the window and decided that if it came to it, he could always jump out of the window and run for it.

"Relax, I don't mean you any harm, Sasuke," Jiraiya said. "Don't you remember what happened?"

Sasuke thought back to the last thing he remembered. Orochimaru had been disciplining a ninja that had failed a mission and Sasuke was doing his best not to pay attention. Orochimaru was giving him little choice, however, and was even allowing him to feel the man's blood on his hands as Orochimaru beat him to death.

"What happened to Orochimaru?" Sasuke asked instead.

Jiraiya's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You really don't remember?"

Sasuke shook his head, which brought some of his hair onto his face. He grabbed the almost waist length strands and shuddered. Orochimaru liked long hair.

"Mold some chakra and look at the right side of your chest."

Puzzled, Sasuke regarded the sannin, who just shrugged. Seeing no reason why he shouldn't, Sasuke pulled off the white shirt he was wearing and molded chakra. He was surprised to see a seal appear on his chest. The seal looked familiar, but he couldn't immediately place it.

"Naruto pulled Orochimaru's soul out of your body, and that seal kept him out. Orochimaru is dead."

The words came to Sasuke as if he was underwater, and it took him a while to digest the meaning of them.

"It's not a dream?" Sasuke whispered. "I really am in Konoha?"

The small seed of hope that he'd kept buried for the past three years suddenly blossomed, and he felt his eyes stinging with tears. He blinked them away, before he faced Jiraiya once again.

"I'm afraid so, kid. You're back in Konoha."

Sasuke swallowed the lump in his throat and didn't speak until he was sure that his voice would not crack.

"If this is Naruto's apartment, where is Naruto?"

Jiraiya grimaced. "He's probably getting chewed out by Tsunade as we speak. Get dressed, kid, you have your own appointment with the Hokage to go to."

&& &&

"Of all the stupid, idiotic, dangerous, not to mention illegal, things that you could have done, you defied orders, created a forbidden technique, infiltrated an enemy village and brought its leader back to our village. You're lucky I don't bust you back down to genin for your trouble."

Naruto stood at attention directly in front of Tsunade's desk, even though the Hokage was not seated in her usual chair. Instead, Tsunade paced the Hokage office like a caged tiger, waiting for the right moment to pounce on whatever idiot put their hand in the cage. Sakura stood rigid beside him, also at attention. He didn't have to look at her to know that she was looking straight ahead not at her teacher.

"I am sure that I don't have to remind you that your actions carry severe consequences."

Tsunade paused as if waiting for either jounin to speak up, but continued to speak when she was met with silence. She walked up to Sakura and stood directly in front of the younger woman.

"You abused your privileges as my student," she said. "You stole classified information and used it for personal uses." She then turned to Naruto. "You, young man, I can't even begin to put into words what you've done."

She started another orbit around her office, almost as if she were too disgusted to look at Naruto.

"I got rid of Konoha's greatest threat," Naruto finally said.

He understood where Tsunade was coming from; he was aware that what they had done would have consequences. He knew that she was hurt because he hadn't confided in her, and he felt guilty at having to not only keep her out of the loop, but disobey her direct orders. He didn't have to ask Sakura to know that she was fully aware of what they'd brought upon themselves and if they'd had to do it over again, he knew that neither of them would change a thing. However, he was tired of being talked down to like a little boy. He'd done what no one else in Konoha had the guts to do and he was going to be damned if he didn't get her to acknowledge that.

"Do you think I wanted you to carry all of those deaths on your shoulders, Naruto?" Tsunade asked. She then turned to Sakura. "You got off easy, Sakura, because you didn't have to do any of the dirty work. Naruto, however, will carry this with him until the day he dies."

She was suddenly beside him, and he had to force himself not to jump at her sudden presence. He turned his head to look at her and couldn't help but notice the anguish in her eyes.

"As skilled and mature as you are, Naruto, you're still only a teenager. I didn't want…" she trailed off, and the anger from before was replaced by weariness.

"I am a ninja, Hokage-sama," he said, using the formal title that he rarely used. "I am trained to kill."

Tsunade laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. She walked around her desk and leaned against it.

"You may think that now, but later on, when you're plagued by the screams of the people you killed, you may think differently."

Now was probably not a good time to mention to her that he was already starting to remember and hear those screams in his head. He turned to Sakura, who was watching him. He gave her a smile and she returned it. Everything he needed to know was in that smile. They would not regret what they'd done, no matter what the consequences. Before they'd even started on this journey, they had decided that Sasuke was worth it.

"It worked out, everything turned out okay."

Tsunade's eyes darkened and Naruto was tempted to jump out the nearest window. That would hardly win him any points with the irate woman, so he decided to stay where he was.

"I was the one that pieced you back together, Naruto, remember that. I also am not sure if your plan worked, or if we've brought Orochimaru right into our midst."

Naruto opened his mouth to protest that the plan had worked, that Sasuke was fine, but a slight shake of the head from Sakura kept him from actually forming any of the words. Sakura knew Tsunade's moods a lot better than he did and he wasn't about to argue with sound advice.

Tsunade sighed and dropped down into her chair. "You are both suspended without pay until further notice. I am not confining you to your respective homes, but I am confining you to the village. You will not leave the village without an ANBU escort, is that understood?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," both jounin said in unison.

"What about Sasuke," Sakura said, speaking up for the first time.

Tsunade's face twisted in anger at the mention of the teenager's name and Naruto had to wonder why the woman hated the Uchiha so much. Could it be because, for a few years, he'd been possessed by Orochimaru, whom Tsunade most definitely hated? Was it something else? He'd have to ask her about it when she wasn't so angry.

"I've made him Jiraiya's responsibility," the Hokage answered. "I will allow him to live at his family home, but he will be confined to it until further notice. He is a missing nin and I am not taking any chances with him. If you two aid him in any way that is not approved by me, I will have you tried for treason, understand?"

Naruto frowned at the woman's extreme measures, but nodded his agreement.

"Are we allowed to talk to him, at least?" Naruto asked.

"You went through all the trouble to bring him back. Do you think I'd keep you away from him?" she said.

For the first time since they'd entered the office, Naruto saw a glimpse of the old Tsunade. She looked them both up and down and shook her head. After a few minutes of the scrutiny, she smiled.

"You crazy brats," she said. "I can't believe you pulled it off."

"No one else had the guts to try and we weren't about to let you have Sasuke killed on sight," Naruto added. "We took responsibility for him."

The remainder of that thought was left unspoken, but Naruto could tell that Tsunade got the gist of it anyway. He'd had the conversation about Orochimaru with her, just as he had with Jiraiya, so she knew how he felt about their lack of responsibility towards their teammate.

"Go on, get out of here. Go see your friend. Under no circumstances are you to tell anyone else about what happened, do you understand? I'm going to have to answer for this sooner or later, but I want to make sure that Orochimaru is really gone before I do. For now, only the three of us, Jiraiya, and the ANBU assigned to Uchiha will know."

They nodded their agreement, bowed in respect and left the office as quickly as was appropriate. Once they'd gotten out into the hallway, they ran towards the exit. When they were safely outside, Sakura launched herself into Naruto's arms.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she said. "I was so worried, and then Jiraiya showed up and I wasn't in the best state of mind to evade his questions. I'm sorry I had to tell him."

Naruto hugged her back. Sakura's enthusiasm was contagious and it brought a smile to his face. He couldn't believe that they'd pulled it off either. He'd been staring at Sasuke for hours on end, afraid that if he looked away, his former teammate would disappear. Everything still seemed very surreal to him and he found himself in a state somewhere in between full awareness and shock. What he'd done hadn't really sunk in yet and he wasn't sure if he really wanted it to.

"Don't worry about it. When Jiraiya found us, I could hardly walk. If he hadn't gotten there…" Naruto trailed off.

The incident, which had been mostly a blur to him when he'd left Oto, was becoming clearer. Tsunade's words earlier, about the blood now on his hands, came back to him. His dreams were already plagued with the screams and the smell of burning flesh, but he was not going to share that with her, or with Sakura. He'd done what he had to do. The road to it did not matter, only the results.

"Naruto, are you okay?" Sakura asked.

She'd released him from the hug but still held him by the shoulders. She was staring intently into his eyes and he could see worry clearly in hers. He shook his head and grinned at her.

"Of course I'm okay, Sakura! Sasuke is back. He's going to be pissy, and will probably brood a lot, but we'll have to deal with that too."

Sakura didn't look too convinced but, thankfully, she let it go. Knowing Sakura, she'd bring it up later.

"How about we go back to my place and see if he's woken up yet? It's been a week. You'd think he'd be tired of sleeping by now."

Sakura nodded and they began their walk towards Naruto's neighborhood.

"It's too bad Kakashi is on a mission with the ANBU," Naruto said. "He'd want to be here too."

Sakura nodded her agreement. "He's going to be so shocked. I think he took Sasuke's defection pretty hard, even if he didn't admit it."

"Yeah. When Oto attacked Konoha last year, Kakashi and Orochimaru got into it as well," Naruto added. "Kakashi got pretty beat up."

Naruto shuddered at the sudden image of his former teacher lying in a pool of his own blood. Orochimaru had summoned Manda, which had bit Kakashi and had left him with most of his bones broken. If he and Sakura hadn't gotten there when they had, Kakashi would have died.

"I was too busy trying to keep Kakashi from bleeding to death that I didn't get to face Sasuke. I'm not sure what I would have done if I'd had to fight him."

Naruto was glad that his teammate and friend had not had to go against their possessed former teammate. It hadn't been a pretty picture, especially when it was Orochimaru's vile words and actions being done with Sasuke's body.

"It doesn't matter anymore, Sakura. I have no doubt that this won't be easy for us or for him, but at least he's himself again. He can fight us all he wants, if he wants, as Uchiha Sasuke."

Sakura gave him a brilliant smile, before she began to run.

"Race you to your apartment!"

"Just try to beat me," he said and took off after her.

When they reached his apartment, they both stood outside of the door for a long moment.

"It was worth it, right Naruto?" Sakura asked.

Naruto didn't have to think about his answer at all.

"Of course it was worth it, Sakura."

With that, Naruto unlocked the front door. He didn't get very far inside the apartment, because standing in front of him, dressed in one of his sweatpants and old tee shirts, was Sasuke. The young man looked surprised to see Naruto, until his eyes became expressionless, his face a mask of indifference and aloofness. The mask hadn't been put in place fast enough and Naruto hadn't missed the suspicion that momentarily touched Sasuke's eyes. They stood there for what seemed like an eternity, staring at each other.

"Hi Sasuke."

It was Sakura that broke the silence.

&&&&

There, it's officially out of my head. Maybe now the muse can go away and bother someone else. Reviews would be appreciated, even if it's to say that it sucked and should be ceremonially destroyed. At least then I'd know to quit while only one chapter is down on paper.


	2. Hope is a Waking Dream

Greetings!

Here is the second chapter to this strange story that still won't leave my head. You'll have to forgive the long chapters. I tend to get carried away, so you all get long chapters. Some people don't like having to read so much, but I'm hoping that some do.

**Reviews**: I've replied to all signed reviews through the site's reply feature. I replied to anonymous reviews on my website. You can find a link to it on my bio. Thank you so much to those of you that took the time to leave a review. It's very encouraging, especially since this is my first story in this fandom. It's good to know that I'm doing something right.

Enjoy the chapter!

**&&&& (does anyone happen to know why the horizontal lines no longer work when editing a chapter?)**

**Chapter 2: Hope is a Waking Dream**

"Hi Sasuke."

The greeting hung in the air for a couple of minutes and Sakura thought that he wasn't going to return it or acknowledge that she had even said anything. Sasuke was instead starting intently at Naruto as if nothing else existed for the young man. Naruto returned the stare just as intently. If Sakura hadn't known better, she would have said that they were communicating through telepathy.

Finally, Sasuke looked away from Naruto.

"Hello, Sakura," he said and gave her his full attention.

His voice was a shock to her, because it had been a long time since she'd heard it without the taint of Orochimaru's voice. It was deeper than when he'd left and Sakura was surprised to find that his voice no longer had the same effect on her that it once had. The crush she'd had on Sasuke had been long forgotten. Instead, he'd become a friend to her, someone she missed and needed to have in her life. Now that he was back, it felt as if a piece of her heart had finally been returned to her.

Sasuke addressed her formally, as he always had, and she had to resist the urge to run up to him and give him a hug. Sasuke hadn't been a very tactile person when he was twelve and Sakura doubted that he'd become one during his time with Orochimaru. His stare was still as intense as it always had been and he held himself rigid, shoulders tense, with his arms at his sides and his hands clenched into fists. Sakura smiled brightly at him, but he did not return the smile.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he replied.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked, speaking up for the first time. "You were pretty badly injured when we got back. Sakura is a very skilled medical ninja. She could give you a quick check up."

Sasuke shook his head. "That's not necessary, Naruto. I feel fine."

The three of them stood there, not a half meter from each other, but it felt as if a deep chasm was separating her and Naruto from Sasuke. She didn't know what to say and Naruto, who could normally be counted on to make conversation in any situation, was not saying a word. Sasuke, for his part, seemed only marginally interested in them, as one would marginally be interested in a stranger they ran into on the street. There was no relief or happiness in his eyes, and Sakura wondered whether he even wanted to be here.

Unlike the rest of the village, she and Naruto had never written Sasuke off. They'd been hurt that he had chosen power and his need for revenge over their friendship, but at the same time, they'd also realized that he had not been himself. Getting him back was never a question for them, regardless of everyone else's opinions on the matter. When she'd found out that they'd been too late to stop Orochimaru from transferring bodies, she'd been heartbroken. It was a blow, because they'd been unable to do anything in the three years they'd had to find Sasuke and bring him back. It was a personal failure unlike anything else she had ever experienced and it had left her crippled for a long time.

Naruto had taken the news much worse than she had. He'd left the village for a year afterwards to train with Jiraiya, leaving her alone to deal with the aftermath of their failure. Even when he'd returned, he hadn't been the same. She saw him rarely, and when she tried to talk to him, he'd smile and nod and pretend that everything was okay, when she could clearly tell that he was lying. He was gone from the village a lot then too, because Tsunade would assign him solo missions that lasted weeks, even months. When he was back in the village, he retreated to his own apartment or to Jiraiya's or Iruka's.

The attack on Konoha had brought them together once again. They'd had to face Sasuke for the first time since Orochimaru had claimed his body and they had almost lost Kakashi and Naruto in the ensuing battle. The village had managed a narrow victory, but at the loss of countless of excellent and experienced ninja. Others like Asuma, Iruka, Shikamaru, and Neji had been left near death. Iruka's brush with death had rattled Naruto, and Sakura could not recall ever seeing her former teammate so helpless and lost. Fortunately, all four had pulled through and recovered fully.

Genin had become chunin and chunin had become jounin in the aftermath of the battle. Sakura herself had earned her promotion due to her actions during the battle. Naruto's promotion had come a bit later, but was no less deserved. Orochimaru's name had never been so hated, so cursed, and it killed Sakura that now the villagers had Sasuke's face to associate with the death and destruction that accompanied the attack.

Seeing Sasuke had brought Sakura and Naruto together again and after Naruto recovered, they'd both vowed to try again to go after Sasuke. The stakes were much higher, and they'd be paying a much steeper price for disobeying the Hokage's orders, but they were willing to take the risk. Looking at Sasuke now only confirmed to her that it had all been worth it.

Jiraiya, who had retreated to the background, but was no doubt paying attention to every word, cleared his throat.

"He doesn't remember what happened."

"What?" Naruto exclaimed.

He clapped a hand over his mouth as if realizing that he'd said something wrong, but Sakura couldn't think of what it could be. His eyes traveled to Jiraiya, then Sakura, before they settled on Sasuke.

Sasuke's fingers clenched and unclenched, and Sakura couldn't tell whether it was due to nervousness or something else. Now that she thought about it, she realized that Sasuke was being very tactile. He had moved to stand next to a wall, and the fingers of his left hand would occasionally brush the surface of the wall. When she'd first walked in, he'd been brushing his hands down the legs of the sweatpants he wore. On anyone else, it would have looked like the person was fidgeting, but Sakura had never known Sasuke to fidget.

"What do you remember, Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

"Not much, just waking up here. Needless to say, I never thought I'd be back."

His tone was cold, detached, as if he could care less whether he was here or back in Oto. Sakura didn't understand why he was being so cold. Wasn't he glad to be with them? They'd had six years of separation and they had all changed. Could he have changed so much that she and Naruto had completely misjudged him and his desire to return?

"So what do you think of being back?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke turned to the blonde, and the look on his face made Sakura think of Orochimaru.

"There's not much to say. It's Konoha."

Sakura's jaw dropped at the cold indifference in the statement. Naruto's jaw audibly shut and when she turned to him, she could see the muscles in his jaw working. The blonde was never at a loss for words, and right now seemed no different. The only difference was that Naruto was forcing himself not to say whatever had come to mind.

"How can you say that, Sasuke?" Sakura asked and took a few steps closer to him.

Jiraiya was suddenly beside her. She'd forgotten about the sannin and his appearance made her jump slightly.

"I'll leave you kids to your reunion," he said. "I'm going to go get the Hokage so she can have her chat with Sasuke."

He was gone before either could say anything. The three teenagers stood in uncomfortable silence, until Naruto finally spoke up.

"I'm hungry. The Hokage made me skip breakfast, so how about I make us something to eat?"

"Sure, that'll be great!" Sakura replied with cheerfulness that she did not feel.

Naruto turned to her and gave her a small smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Okay," was all Sasuke said.

While Naruto went into the kitchen to make whatever he was going to make, Sakura motioned for Sasuke to take a seat. He sat on one end of the couch, while Sakura chose the other end. Again, she noticed that his hand was absently running his fingers over the fabric of the couch.

"Do you feel any dizziness or drain in chakra?" Sakura finally asked, keeping her voice as neutral as she could and trying not to think about the fact that Sasuke didn't want to be with them. "We weren't sure how much of it the seal would take and I just want to make sure that you're okay."

Sasuke frowned momentarily as he thought about what he'd been asked. "There is no dizziness and my chakra levels seem to be where they have always been," he answered. "I don't feel any effects from the seal."

Sakura didn't believe him, not entirely anyway. He was hiding something, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was. He didn't look ill and he wasn't pale or running a fever, but he had to be feeling some adverse effects. Then again, the kind of effects Sasuke would be feeling after being separated from Orochimaru he more than likely would not share with anyone.

"Are your senses okay?"

Sasuke turned to her, confusion clear on his face. "Why do you ask that?"

His voice, which had previously held no emotion at all, now held a hint of suspicion.

"You keep touching everything and your fingers are twitching. I was just wondering if your senses were operating normally or if the seal had done something to them."

Sasuke looked at the hand that had been tracing the fabric of the couch as if seeing it for the first time. He put his hands in his lap, and Sakura could tell that he was doing his best not to clench them into fists.

"Tell me what's wrong, Sasuke. I can help."

Sasuke shook his head and let it drop slightly, so that his hair covered his face. All Sakura had a view of now was long, silky hair and tense shoulders. The silence stretched out for so long that Sakura thought he wasn't going to reply. When he did, his voice was barely audible.

"It's been a while since I've been able to touch anything," he said, for the first time sounding like the Sasuke she used to know and not the detached person he'd been since she'd walked into the room.

Sakura's eyes filled with tears at the wistful tone in Sasuke's voice and she knew that it had taken a lot for him to admit that much to her. She was about to reassure him, to tell him that he didn't have to worry about that anymore, but he beat her to it.

"My senses are fine, Sakura, It's just been a while since I've been in control of them."

He did clench his hands into fists then and Sakura reached out and took one of them in both of her hands. Sasuke immediately tried to pull away, but Sakura wouldn't release the hand. He raised his head, mouth open to tell her to let go, but something in her eyes must have gotten to him, because he didn't say a word and he stopped fighting her hold.

"You're not alone, Sasuke. You never were. We were always here for you, with you; it was just a matter of you letting us in."

Sasuke's jaw clenched and he jerked his hand out of Sakura's grasp. He stood up and paced the small space that was Naruto's living room.

"You have no idea," Sasuke finally said.

He turned to face her, and while his face was calm, his body language said otherwise. A medical ninja of her caliber would not miss the speed of his heart, the sweat on his hands or the slight, almost unnoticeable, trembling of his body. Sasuke was like a coiled snake, ready to pounce on anything he perceived as a threat.

"Do you have any idea of what you brought back?" he asked.

Sakura thought that he was asking a rhetorical question, but the expectant look on his face told her that he wanted an answer. She didn't have to think very long to give it.

"We brought back our friend," she said.

"That's where you're wrong," Sasuke replied and continued his pacing.

Sakura felt his chakra spiking and she felt Naruto's doing the same in the other room. Her own rose to match and if the levels got any higher than they were now, it would draw the ANBU into the room, and that would be the worst possible thing right now.

"I'm not the person that I was six years ago. You didn't bring back your friend; you just brought back a hollow shell."

Sakura's tears spilled down her cheeks and she was momentarily left speechless at the venom in Sasuke's voice. The saddest part of it was that the venom was not directed at her or at Naruto, but at himself.

"If you're not our friend, then who are you, an impostor?" Naruto asked.

Both Sakura and Sasuke turned to look at the blonde, who stood at the threshold to the small kitchen area. He was wearing a white apron with a yellow smiley face printed on it and Sakura almost laughed at the absurdity of it all.

"You look like Sasuke and you sound like Sasuke, to me that says that you are Sasuke," Naruto added.

"We've all changed," Sakura added, "we're not what we used to be."

"You didn't spend the last three years murdering countless people," Sasuke insisted. "You don't have all that blood on your hands."

"We're ninjas," Sakura said. "We all have blood on our hands. Besides, you didn't spend the last three years murdering people, Orochimaru did."

"Yeah," Naruto added. "If there's anyone that has blood on their hands, it's me," he said, his voice suddenly subdued. "I killed everyone in Oto."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the admission and Sakura lowered her head in guilt. She should have gone with him; she should share some of the responsibility for what he'd had to do. When she raised her head, Sasuke's eyes were wide.

"Everyone?" he asked.

Naruto nodded. His blue eyes were shadowed and he looked away from both of them.

"They were in the way," was all he said.

Silence descended over them like a shroud. Naruto went back to cooking and Sasuke retook his seat on the couch. When he looked at Sakura, she could clearly see the disbelief on his face.

"He went by himself?" Sasuke asked in a much softer, much calmer tone. "Why?"

Sakura took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"We knew that there was a large possibility that we would fail and would end up captured, tortured, and killed. That's why Naruto insisted that he go alone. I would have been the best choice to perform the seal, but he didn't want to risk my capture so he learned to do it himself. The plan was that if he was captured, he would kill himself in a way that would destroy his body so Oto would have no reason to attack Konoha in retaliation. If he succeeded, we'd have you back. If we failed, he would pay the price alone."

Sakura broke off as more tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Why, Sakura?" Sasuke asked. "Why would you do this? I left the village of my own free will. I turned my back on all of you, especially you when you tried to get me to stay. Why would you bother?"

Sakura clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking and the look of confusion on Sasuke's face served to bring more tears. Why didn't he see how important he was to them? Why couldn't he understand why they'd risk everything they had to bring him back?

"You're our friend, Sasuke," Naruto, who'd come into the room, answered for Sakura. "I told you at the Valley of the End that I'd bring you back, even if I had to break every bone in your body to do it. It took me a little longer than expected, and I didn't have to break every bone in your body, but I kept my promise."

"We missed you," Sakura added. "It's just not the same without you."

Sasuke stared from one to the other, and Sakura was sure that he was trying to put together what they'd said and whatever was going through his head. She could still feel his anxiousness, but it was not as pronounced as it had been only moments before. He was still tense, but she didn't think he would strike at the next available target.

"Breakfast, or rather lunch, is ready," Naruto said. "We should eat before it gets cold."

**&&&&**

"So?"

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow.

"So what?"

Tsunade sighed. "You know what I'm talking about, Jiraiya."

Jiraiya chose to ignore his long time friend in favor of looking at a pair of young ladies that were walking on the street ahead of them. He could feel Tsunade's eyes on him, but chose to let her stew for a moment longer. His view of the lovely ladies was suddenly replaced by the stars caused by Tsunade's fist colliding with the back of his head.

"Watch it, woman, you're going to crack my skull."

"I doubt that," she replied. "I don't think anything can crack that thick head of yours. Now what do you think?"

Dropping all pretenses, Jiraiya sighed again. He picked up the pace a little bit so that they could distance themselves from the crowd. Not that they'd have to worry about it very much, since everyone who saw Tsunade bowed, muttered a respectful "Hokage" and then moved out of the way. He didn't want to take any chances, though and waited until they were on the street that led to Naruto's apartment to speak.

"He's scared," Jiraiya said. "He's trying very hard to cover it, but he's terrified."

Tsunade thought over what he'd said for a long while before she replied.

"So you don't think it's an act? You don't think Orochimaru is pretending to be Sasuke just to get under our skin?"

"Orochimaru isn't that good at pretending he's weak," Jiraiya added, bitterness in his voice. "You know how vain he is. If we had him in Naruto's apartment instead of Sasuke, he would have attacked as soon as he'd woken up, not looked around Naruto's bedroom as if he were afraid that if he blinked it would disappear."

Tsunade stopped her brisk walk and turned to Jiraiya. "What do you mean?"

"He's suspicious," Jiraiya elaborated. "He's expecting us to hurt him. Well, not us, exactly. I have a feeling that he thinks this is all a trick Orochimaru came up with to either test him or torture him. I can't read Sasuke as well as I can read Naruto, but that's my gut feeling."

"Why would he think that?"

"Think about it. Orochimaru was probably not happy to find out that the kid's mind survived the body transfer. If you were Orochimaru, how would you torture Sasuke? I don't claim to understand how his forbidden technique works, but if you could torture the person you've subjugated, what better way would there be than to show him memories of his home, a home he would never return to?"

"Uchiha might not have wanted to come home, Jiraiya. We can't operate from the assumption that he was an unwilling participant in all of this. Uchiha Sasuke did leave this village voluntarily."

Jiraiya examined the stern set to Tsunade's face and wondered if she was playing devil's advocate because, as Hokage, it was her job to consider both sides, or because she really did believe that Sasuke had been a willing participant. Tsunade was not cold hearted, as much as she liked people to think that she could be. She was a kind, decent woman, who sometimes felt a little too much and got a little too attached. That could be part of the issue now.

"Sasuke's defection put Naruto through hell. Is that why you're so angry with him?"

"He's a traitor, Jiraiya! How else do you expect me to treat him? I gave orders to have him killed on sight, remember? Orders that Naruto and Sakura both chose to ignore."

Jiraiya resumed their walk towards the mostly deserted part of the village. Tsunade followed him shortly after.

"Would you have given the order to kill him on sight if he'd simply been Uchiha Sasuke, missing nin?"

Tsunade did not immediately reply and Jiraiya didn't turn around to see her face as she pondered the question. She would give him an answer when she was ready.

"No," she finally said. "Naruto would have defected himself to keep us from killing Uchiha."

Jiraiya smiled even though Tsunade couldn't see him. She could pretend all she wanted that the blonde ninja didn't mean anything to her, but he knew better. Naruto had gotten away with things that most ninjas would have been jailed or executed for. Tsunade still liked to pretend that she didn't care, even though she smiled every time she saw that damned necklace on him.

"Orochimaru is no longer an issue, Tsunade. Talk to the kid and make you own decision."

Naruto's apartment came into view and without making sure that she actually went inside, Jiraiya disappeared.

**&&&&**

"Know it all," Tsunade murmured as the white haired sannin left.

She stood just outside of the building Naruto lived in and took a deep breath. Having Jiraiya's opinion meant a great deal, because she knew he wouldn't be biased. He had no reason, other than Naruto, to give a damn about Uchiha one way or another, so he had no reason to lie. Naruto and Sakura were going to be a little more biased, which is why she'd left Uchiha as Jiraiya's charge. Even Kakashi would be biased when he returned. She wasn't sure if she was looking forward to telling him the news.

Leave it to Naruto to bring even more trouble to her doorstep. When was that kid going to learn to listen to his superiors and do as he was told? She was still tempted to bust him down, maybe to chunin instead of genin, but she didn't think she'd have the heart to. Orochimaru had never meant enough to her for her to sacrifice anything for him. If it had been Jiraiya that had defected, however, would she have disobeyed Sarutobi's orders and gone after him anyway? She was glad she hadn't had to find out.

She made her way up the rusty steps and knocked on the door to the apartment. She had asked Naruto to move to a safer, and more populated, part of town, but he'd refused every single time. He made more than enough money now to afford a better place, but he said he wanted to be away from the prying eyes of the village. She could understand that, even though the villagers didn't hate him as they once did. He's saved their collective behinds one too many times to leave any doubts about his loyalty in their minds. Bringing back Uchiha, however, was going to put that to the test. Tsunade had a feeling that the villagers were going to be only too happy to have another target for their bigotry, anger, and hatred.

"Since when do you knock," Naruto said as he opened the door. "We felt both you and Jiraiya standing out there for quite a while and we were beginning to wonder what you were doing," he added, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

She smacked him upside the head hard enough to make him stumble into the apartment.

"Watch your mouth, brat. You're in enough trouble already.

She entered the apartment to a sight that, under any other circumstances, would have made her smile.

Sakura and Uchiha were seated around the small table in the kitchen, which held various dishes of rice, steamed vegetables, and steamed fish. The smell alone made her stomach growl and she realized that she'd been so busy she'd forgotten her own lunch.

"Join us for lunch, Hokage-sama," Sakura said from the table.

"Yeah, it sounds like you need it," Naruto added.

Tsunade had come to interrogate, and examine, Uchiha, not for a visit. However, this would give her the opportunity to watch him and see how he related to his former teammates. You could see more from a person by the way he or she performed mundane tasks than by talking to them and Naruto had just given her the perfect opportunity to observe Uchiha. She looked right at Sasuke, to see if he would say anything, but he remained silent. He met her gaze and held it. She couldn't see much in his eyes from this distance, but she didn't sense malice or murderous intent from him. She sensed his uncertainty, and his chakra tickled her skin like a soft breeze, but other than that, it was as if she were looking at a normal, eighteen year old kid, not one who had, until recently, been host to one of the most sinister human beings in history.

"I think I will join you," Tsunade said with somewhat forced cheer and made her way to the table.

Sakura got up to get a plate and a cup of tea for her and Tsunade deliberately took Sakura's place beside Sasuke. Sakura didn't say anything, simply moved her plate to the only empty seat on the other side of Naruto. They ate in silence, which suited Tsunade just fine.

Sakura was jumpy and kept glancing at her every once in a while. The girl's guilt was very apparent, and Tsunade almost felt guilty for being so hard on her in her office earlier. The guilt diminished, however, when she remembered just what Sakura had done. Sneaking those scrolls out of the library, where they could have been lost or seen by anyone else, had been incredibly foolish, not to mention dangerous. Sakura herself had no business looking at those scrolls and Tsunade wasn't about to let her student forget that.

Naruto seemed tired, and Tsunade had to wonder if the teenager was getting any sleep. He smiled when he caught her looking at him, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. He wasn't eating much of what he had on his plate, but was doing a very good job of making the rice look like the Hokage Mountain.

Uchiha was stiff beside her. His food was untouched on his plate, even though he was holding a pair of chopsticks. He was looking down at his food, but every now and then, she caught him glancing at her through the curtain of his long hair. He would glance at Sakura and Naruto as well, and Jiraiya's words from earlier re-played in her mind. The hand that was not holding the chopsticks was in Uchiha's lap and Tsunade could see the fingers twitch like hers sometimes did when she wanted a weapon to hold but didn't have one available. She didn't sense malice in him, so if he wanted a weapon, it was to protect himself from them.

"I don't think we're going to be eating anymore," Naruto suddenly said and gestured at their food, which sat mainly untouched. "Should we get down to business?"

Tsunade sighed. Leave it to the blonde to get right to the point.

"Could you and Sakura leave?" Tsunade asked.

"Huh?" Naruto said. "This is my apartment."

"Yes, and I'm your superior. You will do ask I ask, for once," she added.

Naruto and Sakura both looked appropriately guilty at that.

"Fine," Naruto said. "I'm going to walk Sakura home."

Sakura looked like she wanted to say something, but thought better of it. They left the dishes on the table and quickly made their way out the door, leaving just the two of them.

"Could you come into the living room?" she asked.

Uchiha nodded. As he got up from his chair, his hair fell forward and hid his features. For a split second, he looked like Orochimaru when he'd been a teenager and she shuddered at the memory. She hoped Uchiha had plans to cut his hair sometime soon.

"How much trouble are they in?" Uchiha asked as he took a seat on the couch.

"They're in a lot of trouble," Tsunade replied. "They broke every conceivable rule to do what they did and they're going to be punished for it." Tsunade paused to gauge his reaction and was surprised to find a little guilt in his eyes. "For now, they've been suspended and I'm seriously considering reducing their rank a level or two. I'm not sure what the council is going to do with them, or what they're going to want to do with you."

Uchiha nodded once again. His face was unreadable, and she had to grit her teeth to keep from yelling at him to show some emotion. Naruto was an open book, to her at least, and, to an extent, so was Sakura. Hell, so was almost everyone else she was surrounded by. Uchiha had perfected the mask he wore, however, and, with the exception of a few fleeting seconds, she could read nothing on his face. It was a good thing that she was as good as she was, however. There was nothing Uchiha could hide from her.

"I don't have to tell you how this village treats missing nins, do I?"

Uchiha shook his head.

"Good, then you know what would normally be done to you, especially considering that up until a week ago, you were Orochimaru."

"I understand," Uchiha said in a perfectly calm and level tone. "It is within your right to kill me if you so desire."

Tsunade took a breath and counted to ten. He was infuriating, to say the least. It didn't help that he had the same attitude of superiority that Orochimaru had. She was tempted to shake him until he showed some emotion, but instead settled for sitting next to him so that their faces were level with each other.

"Do you want to die?"

Indecision flashed over his eyes so fast that Tsunade almost missed it. Even if she had, the spike in his chakra was impossible to miss.

"It doesn't matter," he finally said. "If you want to kill me, you will."

"It matters to me. Do you want me to kill you?"

The mask suddenly dropped from Uchiha's face as if invisible strings had been cut. He released the breath he had been holding and his shoulders slumped slightly. The eyes that had previously told her nothing now told her that he was confused and tired of trying to guess what her motives were. For the first time since she'd walked into the apartment, he looked like the person he was supposed to be, not what Orochimaru had made him into. Sympathy pulled at her heart despite her best efforts to cover it with anger and hatred. Without conscious thought, she put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze.

"I'm real, Sasuke," she said. "I'm not going to disappear."

His eyes widened slightly and he didn't bother to hide his surprise at having his thoughts voiced. After staring at her for a long moment, he spoke.

"I'm beginning to believe that none of you are going to go away and be replaced by that bastard's sadistic laughter," he finally said, his voice no louder than a whisper.

He looked away from her and hid behind the curtain of his hair once again. She removed the hand from his shoulder after giving it another slight squeeze. She thought that he'd said everything he had to say, but he surprised her once again.

"I don't know what to do," he said.

Tsunade's throat constricted and tears threatened to fill her eyes, but she fought them off.

"Start by answering the question: do you want to die?"

He thought about it for a long moment, and when the answer came, there was no hesitation in his voice

"No. I don't want to die."

**&&&&**

"That could have gone worse," Sakura said.

They were seated on the porch of Sakura's small house, enjoying the afternoon breeze.

"Yes, it could have," Naruto replied. "It can still get out of control, though. You know better than anyone how Tsunade gets when she feels betrayed."

"Yes, I know. Ninjas who betray their village are below scum in her eyes, and she hates Sasuke even more because of Orochimaru."

Naruto winced at the certainty in Sakura's voice, even though what she was saying was nothing new to him. She knew Tsunade better than he did, and he was sure that Sakura's insistence in Sasuke's return was a very sore point between the two women. It was a sore point between Tsunade and Naruto as well. Tsunade had tried to convince him, time and time again, that he was wasting his time and was better off moving on and forgetting that Sasuke ever existed. The subject inevitably caused an argument, and it got to the point that Naruto never mentioned it again. He was sure that Tsunade had thought he'd finally given up on the idea, which explained why she'd been seething when they'd talked to her after they'd brought Sasuke back.

Tsunade wasn't the only one against the idea of Sasuke returning. Oto's attempt to invade Konoha a year and a half ago had sealed Sasuke's fate in the eyes of the villagers. Sasuke's face was the one that they now associated with Orochimaru, and being the small minded and judgmental people that they were, they hadn't bothered to stop and think that Sasuke was not the one giving the orders. Since that narrow victory, Sakura and Naruto had been ostracized even more for their loyalty to the renegade Uchiha; even by a few of the people they'd called friends. The scorn had hurt Sakura deeply and she'd become a much more reserved and private person. Unlike Sakura, however, Naruto was used to the village's hatred and disdain, so he let it roll off his shoulders as he had ever since he could remember.

Despite the extenuating circumstances, Sasuke was still a wanted criminal, and it was going to take a miracle to keep him from being executed for those crimes. Naruto had no doubt that Tsunade could pull off that miracle, but she had to be inclined to do so first.

"Tsunade is stubborn," Naruto finally said. "Orochimaru has always been a thorn in her side, just as he was in Jiraiya's."

Sakura looked hopeful at his words. "Jiraiya-sama seemed okay with Sasuke. I mean, I didn't sense or see any resentment or anger from him. If he can get over it, do you think Tsunade-sama can too?"

"Jiraiya is a lot more laid back than Tsunade," Naruto said. "He forgives a lot quicker than she does."

Sakura's expression crumbled and Naruto wished he could take back his words just so he didn't have to see that look of hopelessness on her face.

"Who knows," Naruto added. "Tsunade isn't unreasonable. I think she'll come around."

They sat in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts, until Naruto had to ask the question he'd wanted to ask since they'd left his apartment.

"What do you think of him?" Naruto asked.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, clearly confused.

"What do you think of Sasuke? How do you see him?"

Sakura thought about the question as she nervously chewed on a fingernail. Naruto waited patiently for her answer, even though he was eager to hear her reaction to their friend.

"I'm not an expert on all things Sasuke, even though I claimed myself to be when I was twelve," Sakura finally said, her eyes watering at the thought of the long-forgotten crush she used to have on the reclusive Uchiha. "However, from what I observed in your apartment today, I'd say that he's as close to the edge as he's going to get. I can't claim to understand what he's going through, or what being back here means to him, but he's not handling it well."

Naruto felt his insides turn cold at the statement, because he'd noticed the same thing.

"Did you feel his chakra?" Naruto asked.

Sakura nodded. "It's different."

"Sasuke's chakra became tainted when Orochimaru put the curse seal on him during the Chunin exam," Naruto said. "Now, it's not just tainted, but completely transformed. It's like feeling Orochimaru's chakra tainted with Sasuke's."

"I was surprised at how well Tsunade-sama reacted to that," Sakura said. "It's not only the chakra, though," Sakura added, returning to what they were talking about. "I've never seen Sasuke as off center as I saw him today."

"What do you mean "off center"?" Naruto asked.

"He's like a rubber band that's stretched past its limit," Sakura elaborated. "If we pull it a little further, it's going to snap and hit the closest thing to it."

Naruto didn't have a counter argument to that.

"Do you think we made a mistake, Naruto?"

Naruto's eyes widened at the question and Sakura lowered her head.

"Why do you ask?" he said.

She took a deep breath. When she raised her head to meet his eyes, she was crying.

"What if he didn't want to come back? What if Sasuke was fine where he was?"

Naruto felt anger welling up inside of him and he smothered it before he could lash out at Sakura.

"I refuse to believe that, Sakura," Naruto said, his voice low. "I refuse to believe that Sasuke would have been better off being Orochimaru's host."

"I'm not saying that he would have been better off, Naruto, I'm saying that maybe that's what Sasuke wanted."

Naruto vehemently shook his head. He got to his feet and paced the length of the small porch.

"How can you even think that, Sakura? What makes you think that Sasuke would like being Orochimaru? Even in his worst times, Sasuke was never sadistic."

"Then why isn't he happy to be here?" Sakura said as her voice rose in a higher, more desperate, pitch. "Why does he look at us as if we're ghosts, or fragments of his imagination? Why is he afraid of us?"

Naruto stopped pacing and sat down beside her. The same questions had gone through his head, and he didn't have any answers.

"I don't know, Sakura. I'm tempted to shake him until he starts talking, but I have a feeling that if I come near him, he's going to attack me," he said. "I don't know what else to do, but I refuse to believe that we made a mistake. He's better off here, with us."

Sakura nodded, but he could tell that she wasn't convinced. Weariness suddenly seeped into every fiber of his being and he felt as if were being weighed down. He rested his head on his knees and waited for the worst of it to pass.

The rustle of leaves to their right brought Naruto's head up in alarm. Sakura stiffened beside him, until they both recognized the person's chakra. A few moments later, they were greeted by the sight of a blonde woman with long hair and piercing blue eyes.

"Hi Ino," Sakura said with forced cheer as soon as Ino had stepped off the path that led to Sakura's house. "What brings you here?"

Ino looked from Naruto to Sakura, a frown on her face.

"Why do you two look so glum?" she asked. "Not that you aren't always glum these days, but it seems worse today."

Naruto chuckled and stood up. "Ah, you know Sakura," he said. "She's always worried about something, especially when Tsunade makes her work late."

Ino wasn't buying the explanation, but Naruto didn't care. She was Sakura's friend, so Sakura could deal with her.

"I need to head back home. I'll see you tomorrow, Sakura."

Sakura looked like she wanted to say something else, but wisely refrained.

"Sure, I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto."

With one last look at the two women, Naruto disappeared.

**&&&&**

He was finally alone.

Well, he wasn't entirely alone, because he could feel the three ANBU that were stationed around the apartment. He was alone inside of the small dwelling, however. Tsunade had finally left after he'd answered her question and she had made sure that he was healing as expected. She'd left him with a cryptic statement, which he'd thought about for a while after she'd left.

"_You've just given me a lot more work, Uchiha Sasuke, but I'll be dammed if I let Orochimaru take one more victim."_

The memories he had of Tsunade from Orochimaru were contradicting. The snake sannin had both admired and despised her. He had admired her because of her healing abilities, which he'd almost managed to blackmail her into using on him, and despised her because he saw her compassion as a weakness. Sasuke did not know her and didn't want Orochimaru's view of her to color his own. It was hard to separate, however, because when he saw her, he felt as if he'd known her for decades. He didn't mention that to her, though, because he had a feeling that it would just remind her, once again, who he had been and what he now carried in his mind.

Sasuke had remained on Naruto's couch long after the Hokage had left. He'd pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his head on them to fight off the raging headache that had developed when Tsunade had walked into the apartment. He didn't doubt the fact that he was really in Konoha anymore. However, he wished that he could remember what had happened. Knowing what transpired between Orochimaru and Naruto would make his current situation seem more real, but he could no longer deny the fact that he was finally free.

Thinking about his situation brought thoughts of Naruto. Years ago, Sasuke would have been green with envy at the thought that his former teammate and rival had been able to master a technique powerful enough to defeat Orochimaru. Their fight on the rooftop was proof of how blind he'd been and how unfair he had acted towards his teammate. Sasuke hadn't been able to see past his own desire and his self-appointed purpose in life, to acknowledge that his friend had grown and changed for the better. He had left Konoha without speaking to Naruto again, having held his improvement against him.

Sasuke was a very different person than he had been when he'd left Konoha. His time training under Orochimaru, dealing with the ninja from Oto, and then his time spent with Orochimaru in his body, had taught him a different perspective on life. The things that had seemed so important to him when he was twelve were no longer of any consequence. The rivalry he and Naruto had once shared and the jealousy that he'd harbored towards the blonde ninja seemed trivial now. Sasuke no longer knew who Naruto was. The fact that the blonde ninja had been able to walk into Oto and walk out with Sasuke was proof of that.

The door to the apartment opened, but Sasuke didn't bother to raise his head, since he'd recognized Naruto's chakra when it had appeared outside. He heard a couple of loud thumps, before the spot on the couch next to him was no longer empty. Naruto shifted a moment, before finally settling into a comfortable position. The fluctuations in Naruto's chakra told Sasuke that Naruto was either upset or anxious about something. Sasuke decided to wait until the blonde told him what it was, since Naruto was usually very vocal about his feelings. When minutes passed and Naruto remained quiet, Sasuke decided to break the silence himself.

"What happened in Oto?" he asked.

The question was muffled by his knees, but the sudden rise in Naruto's chakra alerted Sasuke that the other ninja had heard the question.

"I don't remember," was all Naruto said.

Sasuke raised his head and was surprised to find Naruto staring at him. His face was absolutely unreadable, which seemed wrong to Sasuke. Naruto was loud, obnoxious, and transparent. He wasn't supposed to be composed and secretive.

"You don't remember?" Sasuke asked, his incredulity evident in his voice.

"You don't remember either," Naruto countered.

"There's a reason for my loss of memory," Sasuke said. "The Hokage seems to think that the seal screwed with my head a little while pulling Orochimaru's soul out of my body."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. He'd apparently not known about that. "There's a reason for my lack of memory too," he finally said.

Sasuke wondered about that for a moment, until it finally hit him.

"Do you mean the nine-tailed fox?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto had been leaning against the arm of the couch but straightened at Sasuke's statement. A shadow crossed his eyes and his previously expressionless face turned cold.

"You know about that," Naruto stated.

"Orochimaru knew," was all Sasuke said.

Naruto pondered the statement for a moment.

"So everything the snake knew you now know?"

"Something like that," Sasuke replied.

He hadn't told Tsunade about that either, but he didn't think that Naruto would tell her. Naruto regarded him as if waiting for Sasuke to say something about the fox and Sasuke wasn't sure if he saw hope or dread in Naruto's guarded eyes.

"Knowing about the fox explained why the villagers hated you so much," Sasuke said. "It doesn't change who you are, though."

"Would you have said the same thing if you'd found out before you went to Oto?"

Sasuke had to think about that for a moment, before deciding that Naruto deserved an honest answer.

"Probably. I don't think it would have changed how I viewed you, though. Fox or no fox, you're still you."

Naruto smiled for the first time since Sasuke had woken up. It wasn't one of Naruto's trademark grins, but a small smile that reached his eyes and made them sparkle.

"We all have our secrets," Naruto said.

"How many of the people in our class know?"

"Just Sakura," Naruto said. "There was no need to tell anyone else."

Sasuke nodded his understanding. Secrets were kept for a reason, after all.

Sasuke dropped his head back onto his knees, but kept his eyes on Naruto. Naruto was taller, leaner, and had finally stopped wearing the awful, orange jumpsuit. He was now dressed all in black: pants, shirt, vest, forehead protector, and arm guards. The necklace around his neck was very noticeable against the black fabric and Sasuke suddenly realized why that necklace was so important. It had been the first Hokage's necklace, after all. Naruto's hair was a bit longer than it had been, but he kept it away from his face with the forehead protector. Where Naruto's face had once been open and lively, it was now closed and still as stone. Sasuke wondered if, when he looked at himself in the mirror, he'd see the same thing.

"What did Tsunade say?"

"I don't think she's going to have me executed for treason," Sasuke replied. "I don't know what she is going to do, though. She said I could live in my family home for the time being. I'd have ANBU with me at all times, but other than that, I could come and go as I please."

Naruto took it all in. "Did she give you a time frame?"

"She said to give her three days to meet with the council, the rest of the ANBU, and the jounin."

"It's not going to be easy, Sasuke."

"No it's not. They have every right to hate me, you know. I left the village on my own. I turned my back on everyone here, including you and Sakura, to go off and gain enough power to kill my brother. You should have left me behind to pay for my mistakes."

"Most of the villagers would have gladly left you to suffer," Naruto finally said. "It's a good thing that Sakura and I aren't like everyone else."

"It's not going to be easy for you two either," Sasuke said. "The Hokage said that she'd suspended you and might reduce your rank."

Naruto shrugged. "Tsunade says a lot of things," he said. "You're right on one thing, though: it's not going to be easy. We were a team once, remember?"

Sasuke nodded.

"We always worked together well, though thick and thin. We have to be willing to work together on this one too, or neither one of us is going to make it unscathed. Can you do that, Sasuke?"

Sasuke didn't know what to say. He'd been alone for such a long time that he'd forgotten what it was like to trust, to rely on someone because that someone was relying on you too. He had done it once, though.

"If you can do it, I can do it," Sasuke said, a hint of his old smugness in his voice.

"Good. We have ourselves a deal, then."

**&&&&**

There you have it, another chapter. Next up: Kakashi finally returns; Tsunade makes Sasuke's presence known; Naruto and Sakura become Konoha's least favorite ninjas.

Oh, by the way, the chapter title is a quote by Aristotle. I thought it was very fitting. See you all next time.


	3. Prodigal Sons

Greetings!

I apologize for the delay in posting this chapter. Work has been insane, and then I went on vacation, which threw everything off. Hopefully this will make up for it.

Reviews: Thank you so much for the kind reviews! It's nice to know I'm doing a decent job. As always, replies to anonymous reviews can be found on my website. A link to it can be found on my bio page.

Warnings: There is some violence in this chapter. It's small, but it's there.

Enjoy!

&&&&

**Chapter 3: Prodigal Sons**

It was shortly before midnight when Hatake Kakashi finally crossed the gate into Konoha.

He didn't slow his pace, however, not even when the gate guards yelled irritably that even though they knew who he was, they needed to see his identification. He was tired, dirty, and somewhat bloody and wanted nothing more than to go home to a hot shower and a warm bed. Naruto had given him a preview copy of the sixth volume of Icha Icha Paradise shortly before he'd left for his mission, but since the mission had been a classified, S-rank mission, he hadn't taken the book with him. He was looking forward to reading at least the first few chapters before he went to sleep tonight.

His route home took him close to the Hokage tower, and as he passed it, he couldn't help but notice that the light was still on in the Hokage's office. Kakashi slowed his pace until he was standing in the building directly across the tower. While it was not unusual for the Hokage to work late, something told him that this was not a routine late night at the office for Tsunade-sama. Due to the lateness of the hour, he'd planned on giving the Hokage his report in the morning. However, if she was still awake and working, she wouldn't mind getting the report early.

Excuse firmly in place, Kakashi jumped the remainder of the way to the tower. He let himself in and wondered why, if the Hokage was working late, the customary ANBU that guarded her were not at their posts. Shrugging, Kakashi shoved the detail into the back of his mind for later.

He knocked firmly on the door to the office and was rewarded with a short and angry "come in."

He stood on the other side of the door, momentarily caught by uncertainty. Maybe he should have gone straight home after all. When he finally pushed open the door, he found the Hokage sitting at her desk, looking at him expectantly.

"You're late," Tsunade-sama said.

Kakashi frowned. "I wasn't aware that I had a curfew, Hokage-sama."

He wasn't even supposed to be back yet. He'd deliberately not stopped to take any breaks since he'd left Hidden Mist just so he could get home before dawn. The fact that Tsunade-sama didn't seem very surprised to see him made him believe that she'd been waiting for him.

"I saw you standing across the way, Kakashi. If you hadn't stopped by my office, I would have had to go after you, so thank you for saving me the trouble."

The comment caught his attention as he slowly made his way to the Hokage's desk. He hated not knowing what was going on, and the smirk on her face made him positive that she knew something he didn't, something he would most likely dislike. She sat stiffly in her chair, which was a contrast to her flippant attitude, and it made Kakashi wonder if she'd come across any more reports about possible attacks while he'd been gone.

"Why is that, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked.

Tsunade's eyes closed briefly and she sighed. "You need to visit Naruto," was all she said.

"Naruto? Is he okay?"

Ever since the invasion by Oto, and the inevitable confrontation with Orochimaru, Naruto had obtained an almost suicidal streak. They'd been vulnerable to attack after almost losing the village once again, and the hidden villages not allied with Konoha had taken advantage of that. On several occasions, Naruto had taken it upon himself to go and intercept the groups of ninja sent to attack Konoha on his own without telling anyone. The last time he'd done it, he'd limped back to Konoha and had to be carried to the hospital by the gate guards, before they'd even known that a group of ninja had been on their way to attack them.

"The brat is fine," Tsunade-sama said, but Kakashi could tell that he'd guessed right and whatever this was about it involved Naruto, and had the Hokage very angry. "Just go visit him, Kakashi."

Kakashi nodded. "I'll stop by first thing in the morning."

"No, you need to go right now."

Kakashi's frown deepened. "With all due respect, Hokage-sama, why do I have to go right now? It's past midnight. He's probably asleep by now."

Tsunade-sama chuckled, but Kakashi could see no humor on her face.

"I doubt he's going to be getting much sleep for a while, so you don't have to worry about waking him. Go to his apartment, Kakashi."

Tsunade-sama's words left Kakashi with no desire to do anything but what she asked him to do. He bowed to her and had almost made it to the door when her voice stopped him.

"You'll appreciate this tomorrow."

Without turning around, Kakashi left the office and headed towards Naruto's apartment at twice the speed he'd used to get home.

Kakashi had become close to his former team in the past few years, despite the fact that he was no longer their teacher. A touch of guilt churned in his stomach as it always did when he thought about that fact. His neglect of them in favor of Sasuke had led them to other, better teachers that had molded them into the fine ninja they were today. They trained together once in a while and had undertaken a few missions together, as comrades, which had led to the bond they shared now. Sasuke, of course, was another shared bond between them. Kakashi had a feeling that Sasuke would forever be the link that tied them together, no matter where their lives led them.

As he neared Naruto's apartment, he slowed. He was tempted to sneak by a window and take a look inside, but discarded the idea when he realized that Naruto would sense him and wouldn't appreciate him sneaking around. Instead, he made his way up the stairs quickly and knocked on the door.

He heard movement inside the apartment, as if furniture was being moved out of the way, before someone came to the door.

"That better be you, Kakashi," Naruto's voice came from the other side of the door. "If you're someone else pretending to be Kakashi, I'm going to kick your ass."

Kakashi laughed despite the knot in his stomach. If Naruto was joking, he had to be okay.

"I'm starving and wanted ramen," Kakashi said. "Ichiraku is closed, so you're the next best thing."

Kakashi heard the locks being undone on the door before it was opened. Naruto stood on the other side of the door, still fully dressed in his work clothes. The inside of the apartment was well lit and Kakashi could see two cups of tea on the table in front of the couch. He could also sense another presence in the apartment, but the person was masking his or her chakra well enough that Kakashi couldn't identify it.

"Who is with you?" Kakashi asked.

"Why don't you come in and find out," Naruto said and waved him in.

Kakashi trusted Naruto, but the look of pleased satisfaction on his face made Kakashi wonder what Naruto was up to. It had been many years since Naruto had stopped pulling pranks with any regularity, but he still did so every once in a while. Kakashi had fallen victim to them a few times and was in no mood to do so right now.

"If there is a bucket of water above the door, I swear I'll hunt you down and hang you upside down from the Hokage monument first thing tomorrow morning."

Naruto laughed. "There's nothing above the door, Kakashi, come in already."

He did so and Naruto closed the door behind him. It wasn't until he was fully into the room that the door to Naruto's bedroom opened and out walked someone that sent Kakashi's alarms blaring, and brought up very unpleasant memories. His hand immediately went to the weapon's pouch strapped to his thigh, but Naruto's hand on his arm stopped him before he could get a kunai, or ten. Kakashi turned towards the blonde, who shook his head.

"I understand your caution, Kakashi, but I assure you that I mean you no harm."

A chill went down his spine at the sound of the cold and calculating voice. The last time Kakashi had heard it, he'd been on a one way trip to hell.

"Orochimaru does not reside in my body anymore," Sasuke said. "It's just me."

Sasuke held his hands out in front of him where Kakashi could see them. He had stopped far enough away so that he couldn't be touched, but close enough so that Kakashi got a good look at his eyes. He didn't see, or sense, any malice from the young man. If anything, the look in Sasuke's dark eyes was as close to pleading as Kakashi had ever seen. After staring at Sasuke, speechless, for what seemed like an eternity, Kakashi finally broke the silence.

"How?" he asked and almost smacked himself for his stupidity.

"Does it matter?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi wasn't sure of the answer to that question. He wasn't sure of much of anything at the moment. He couldn't remember the last time he had been this stunned and he hated himself for it. He was supposed to be prepared for anything, because he'd spent the majority of his life making sure of that. How could he have prepared himself for the return of the student he'd chosen to devote his time to, only to have said student defect and join a more powerful teacher, who then took over the student's body and attacked their village?

His fists clenched at his sides and anger flowed freely through his body. Naruto and Sasuke both sensed it, because he could feel their reactions to it. He wanted to say something flippant or perverted to diffuse the situation like he normally did, but he couldn't think of anything. All he could do was stare at Sasuke, who simply stared calmly back at him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he finally asked Naruto.

Naruto's face had taken on that deathly calm mask it got when the young man was on a mission that wasn't entirely to his liking, or when he was trying to hide what he was really feeling.

"We didn't want to take the risk of you stopping us," the blonde said.

"What do you mean…," Kakashi trailed off. He didn't have to ask who 'we' was, because there was only one other person it could possibly be.

He wasn't going to argue with Naruto about it, because what was done was done. Sasuke's emotions flared momentarily, long enough for Kakashi to sense the uncertainty that the young man was feeling. By the time Kakashi faced Sasuke once again, his chakra had calmed and his face was devoid of emotion.

"How are you handling all of this, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked, noting for the first time that despite the calm exterior, Sasuke was as rattled by the reunion as he was.

"I'm fine," Sasuke replied.

Kakashi almost smiled at how some things never changed. Sasuke was still as closed off as ever. One of the truly strange things to him when Orochimaru had been in possession of Sasuke's body was how much he talked. Kakashi had never head Sasuke's voice so much as he had that day when they'd fought, and Kakashi doubted that he'd get to hear much of it now.

"It's good to know that you're handling everything well," Kakashi replied. "Since the Hokage was the one that sent me, I take it that she is aware of the situation."

Naruto nodded. "She's going to make Sasuke's return public tomorrow morning."

Kakashi nodded. "Where will you be staying?" he asked Sasuke.

"I'll stay with Naruto for the next couple of days, until I can get my house ready to be lived in again."

"You're going to live in your house?" Kakashi asked, surprised. He would have thought that Sasuke would have wanted nothing to do with his clan again.

"That's where the Hokage ordered me to stay," Sasuke said. "Since I have little choice at the moment that is where I will stay."

Kakashi supposed that the plan made sense. Sasuke would be close enough to Naruto if something came up and the Hokage could have the Uchiha neighborhood well watched. The place was also isolated and away from the main part of the village so that if something did happen, the least amount of civilians would be harmed. Kakashi took a deep breath, released it, and stared at his former students.

"I don't suppose either of you wants to tell me what happened? I'm surprised that Oto didn't send every available ninja out here as soon as they realized that Sasuke was no longer there."

Naruto's eyes darkened at the comment, and he immediately looked away from Kakashi. The reinstated ANBU had known the young man long enough to know that Naruto did not look away unless he was feeling guilty about something.

"What is it, Naruto? What happened in Oto?"

Naruto shook his head, but didn't reply.

"He doesn't remember, Kakashi," Sasuke replied instead. "I don't remember either, but everyone in Oto is dead."

Kakashi's eyebrows rose in surprise for the second time that night. That was something he was most definitely not expecting. It was no wonder Tsunade didn't have but the three ANBU stationed outside. She wasn't expecting anyone to come after Sasuke.

"Everyone?" Kakashi asked, unconsciously echoing Sasuke's question to Naruto earlier in the day.

"Yes, everyone," Naruto replied.

The three stood in uncomfortable silence for what seemed like an eternity. Naruto looked everywhere but at Kakashi and Sasuke, while Sasuke kept his eyes on Naruto. It seemed to Kakashi that at that moment, both had forgotten that he was even in the room. Finally, Kakashi cleared his throat. Whatever they knew that they weren't telling him would come to his attention sooner or later. Forcing the issue now would accomplish nothing.

"Well, it's late, and I have an appointment with my new book," he said and made his way out of the apartment. When he was at the door, he turned towards Sasuke one last time. "Welcome home."

Without waiting for a reply, he disappeared.

&&&&

"_You are a fool, Kakashi. You're just like your father."_

_Kakashi held his hand against his shoulder trying, without much success, to stop the bleeding that the Chidori had caused when it had ripped through it. His left arm was useless and he could no longer form any seals, which is what the bastard that had used his own move against him had wanted to accomplish. His Sharingan flared in anger, and it was matched by the pair of similar, red eyes staring at him from the other side of the small clearing. _

"_He did everyone a favor by taking his own life," the person continued in a voice so familiar, and yet so foreign and disgusting. "A disgraced ninja deserves nothing less."_

_He was tempted to respond to the taunt, but Kakashi knew that if he did, he'd be playing right into the snake's hand. Instead, he glared at a face that had become so familiar to him in the past few years; a face that he'd decided was worth all he had to offer, everything he could pass on. The boy in front of him had been the first, and only, student he'd fully taken in, and he'd been rewarded for his trouble by having his Chidori almost deal him a killing blow. If he hadn't moved at the last second, it would have crushed his heart._

"_You talk too much," Kakashi finally said as he desperately wracked his brain for something, anything, he could do to get out of this mess._

_The boy in front of him smirked. "What's the matter, Kakashi-sensei. You don't look so well."_

_Sasuke's calm voice rang through the clearing and, for a split second, Kakashi dared hope that maybe his student was still somewhere in there, that Orochimaru hadn't taken everything. _

"_The boy liked you, Kakashi. Well, as much as he could like anyone. He's truly upset right now, seeing you beaten, bloody, and almost defeated."_

_The comment struck a chord in Kakashi. Sasuke was still alive in there somewhere. Both Naruto and Sakura believed that he was, even though there was nothing to indicate that. Now he had some tangible proof to give them, if he survived long enough to talk to them again. _

_The ground beneath him rumbled and before he could move out of the way, he was caught in the jaws of a massive snake. He screamed in agony as the jaws pierced his body, shattering bone as they entered. He immediately lost all feeling in his legs and could only weakly claw at the upper jaw with his one good hand. He managed to grab a kunai and embed it into the jaw, but the snake would not let go. _

"_How does it feel, Kakashi-sensei," Orochimaru, using Sasuke's voice, whispered in his ear. "You are weak. You were always weak and now you'll die just as your father did: a coward."_

_Manda's jaws opened and Kakashi was left to fall to the ground below. He hit left shoulder first, and what little feeling still remained in his body was suddenly gone._

'_This is it, it's over,' Kakashi said to himself as he felt his life draining away. 'I couldn't save him… I couldn't even save myself.'_

&&&&

Kakashi jerked to a sitting position on his bed, his hands instinctively going to his lower back and chest, where Manda had done most of the damage. He ran his left hand over his chest, not needing the light to tell him where the scars were. His hand then traveled up to his shoulder, where the Chidori had destroyed the joint. He was breathing hard and sweat rolled off his forehead and down his face. His body trembled slightly and it took him a while to regain control of his wayward emotions.

He'd had the flashback quite often after the confrontation with Orochimaru, but he hadn't had it in over a year. It didn't surprise him that he had it now, however. He didn't remember much of what happened after Manda had let him go, but he'd heard from others that Naruto and Sakura had gotten there and fought Orochimaru as well. Kakashi closed his eyes and an image of Sakura's haunted face immediately jumped into his mind. She'd been at the hospital every day to visit him and Naruto, and Kakashi had no trouble telling just how much that confrontation had taken out of her, and out of Naruto. The three had never been the same again.

Now, Orochimaru was dead and Sasuke was back. What the hell were they supposed to do now?

A knock on the door made Kakashi jump and he cursed himself for his lack of attention. He relaxed slightly when he recognized the man standing on the other side of the door.

"What do you want, Asuma, it's not even dawn yet."

Sarutobi Asuma chuckled. "On the contrary, Kakashi, it's almost 9."

'Huh?' Kakashi said to himself and looked around his well lit apartment. The sun was, indeed, out, and he hadn't noticed.

"I just got back from a mission," Kakashi said, "I'm taking the day off."

As if to prove his point, even though Asuma couldn't see him, Kakashi lay back down on the bed and pulled the covers over his unmasked face.

"The Hokage has called a general assembly of all ninja with Chunin status or higher. She sent me specifically to get you so that you wouldn't show up hours late."

Kakashi suddenly realized what assembly Asuma was talking about. Naruto had said that Tsunade-sama would announce Sasuke's return today, hadn't he?

"Kakashi, you have twenty minutes to get to the tower," Asuma said.

Groaning, Kakashi got out of bed. He padded barefoot and dressed only in a pair of black shorts towards the door and opened it slightly, so all Asuma would be able to see was his right eye.

"I'll be there," Kakashi said.

"The Hokage told me to make sure you got there on time and I'm going to make sure that you get there, even if you won't let me in," Asuma said, his arms crossed in front of him and a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

"Fine, but you're staying out there," Kakashi said.

He slammed the door behind him and headed for the bathroom to take a quick shower. The assembly was going to be interesting, that was for sure.

&&&&

"I'm sorry, kids, but there is no class today."

Some kids groaned in disappointment, while others pumped their fists in excitement.

"Why, Iruka-sensei?" one of his students asked.

"The Hokage has called a meeting and I have to be there, Kumiko," he replied. "We'll have class tomorrow, I promise."

The little girl smiled at him, before leaving the classroom with a group of her friends. Everyone else followed and Iruka waited until the last child had left before he made his way out of the academy and towards the tower. What could the Hokage want to tell them now? The last time he'd been called to one of these meetings had been shortly before they'd been attacked by Oto. Iruka shuddered at the thought. The experience had left him with many scars, both physical and emotional, and he wasn't looking forward to attaining any more so soon.

He was halfway to the tower when he noticed a familiar face a little ways in front of him. Iruka decided to be sneaky and play a little trick on the village's renowned former prankster. He masked his chakra, formed several seals and within seconds appeared in front of the blonde.

"Geez, Iruka-sensei, don't do that!" the blonde yelled as he sidestepped his former teacher.

Iruka grinned as he watched the young man's face.

"You must be preoccupied this morning, Naruto," Iruka said. "I am usually not able to sneak up on you anymore."

Iruka got into step beside Naruto as they continued on their way. Naruto shrugged at the comment and gave his former teacher a grin, but Iruka had known the blonde way too long to be fooled by it.

"You know what this meeting is about, don't you?" Iruka asked.

Naruto's shoulders tensed even more and the young man refused to look at Iruka. He did drop the grin, however, and his face displayed a blankness that sent shivers down Iruka's spine.

"You'll find out soon enough," was all the young man said.

The rest of the way to the tower was spent in silence. Iruka had learned not to push Naruto when he got into a mood like the one he was currently in. It would get him no where and it would push the blonde away. Naruto would talk to him when he was ready, all Iruka had to do was be patient and wait for him.

When they got to the tower, they immediately made their way to the meeting hall. Iruka was not surprised to see that the room was already half full. He was headed for the front when he noticed that Naruto was no longer with him. Instead, the young man was leaning against the back wall, away from most of the other ninja in the room. Frowning, Iruka made his way back to Naruto.

"You're usually the first one to the front," Iruka commented. "What's different about today?"

"Let's just say I'm ready for a quick getaway," Naruto said, his lips slightly turned in a small smile. "You don't have to stay here with me, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka gave Naruto a smile and leaned against the wall beside the younger man. "I have a feeling things will be a lot more interesting back here."

Sakura joined them a few minutes later. She greeted Iruka with a small, nervous smile, before making herself comfortable against the wall on the other side of Naruto. Sakura's presence alone was not enough to really raise Iruka's suspicions, because she and Naruto spent a lot of time together. Hatake Kakashi's appearance, however, told Iruka that the three of them were well involved in what the Hokage had called them to discuss.

"You're on time," both Naruto and Sakura said at the same time as soon as they saw Asuma dragging Kakashi through the door.

Kakashi had the decency to look embarrassed. "I had no choice. He broke into my room, dragged me half naked out of bed and made me get dressed," he said pointing at Asuma.

Asuma shook his head and gave a long suffering sigh. "The things I have to put up with," he said. "I'll leave the old man to you two," he added and made his way towards the front, ignoring Kakashi's indignant cry of "I'm not old yet."

"Good morning, Iruka," Kakashi said with a smile. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Good morning," Iruka replied. "You've been out on missions quite often lately."

"It's a living," he said and settled against the wall on the other side of Iruka.

"You don't have to say with us, Kakashi," Sakura said.

Kakashi shrugged. "There is safety in numbers, children," he simply said.

Iruka's eyebrow rose at the comment and he gave each of his companions a long look. Kakashi, despite his cheerfulness and relaxed posture, was tense. Sakura was absently playing with the hem of her shirt with one hand, while the other was clenched into a fist at her side. Naruto's eyes moved quickly from person to person, as if looking for someone, or something. He, too, was outwardly relaxed, but the set of his jaw said otherwise.

"Everyone, can I have your attention please?"

Iruka's thoughts were put on hold as he turned his attention to the Hokage.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, but I have something very important to share with the rest of you, and with the villagers."

The crowd of ninja immediately took their seats and gave their full attention to their leader.

"Orochimaru is dead," the Hokage stated. "Oto has been defeated."

Iruka's jaw dropped open in shock. This was not what he had expected to hear, and all around the room, he could see similar reactions. The quiet in the room was oppressive, until everyone began speaking at once. Excited, surprised, and worried voices all warred with each other for supremacy, until Iruka thought his ear drums would burst from the onslaught. He turned to Naruto, and it suddenly dawned on him that Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi were not surprised at the news.

"You had something to do with this, didn't you?" Iruka asked Naruto without thinking, still in shock over what he'd heard.

When Naruto turned to him, his blue eyes were so full of pain that Iruka felt as if a knife had been buried in his chest. Naruto opened his mouth, but no words came out. He shook his head and his eyes became blank, his face steely and unreadable.

"We can talk later, Iruka," Naruto said and turned away.

"Silence!"

The Hokage's voice demanded attention and everyone immediately became silent.

"The circumstances behind what happened are not important," she said. "What is important is that we now have a chance to rebuild our village without worrying about Orochimaru ever again."

A thought quickly crossed Iruka's mind and he turned towards his three companions once again. If Orochimaru was dead, then that had to mean that Sasuke was dead as well. However, Naruto didn't seem upset. Well, he was upset, but he wasn't grieving.

"There's one more thing," the Hokage said. "We have a new addition to the village."

She motioned for someone who'd been standing behind her in the shadows of the small stage to step closer, and Iruka gasped as he realized who it was. He immediately tensed and wished he'd brought his weapons along. He saw similar reactions throughout the room, as well as a few cries of 'traitor' and 'murderer'.

"Enough. You are ninja, behave as such," the Hokage reprimanded.

"Orochimaru is dead, as I said earlier. Uchiha Sasuke is not, and was not ever, Orochimaru, regardless of what you might think."

Kakashi's chakra fluctuated beside him and Iruka turned to the silver haired man only to find him with his nose buried in his book. Iruka then returned his attention to Sasuke, who stood rigid beside the Hokage. He was wearing a white shirt that seemed to envelop him and black pants that were too long and too wide for him. He wore his hair pulled back, which exposed his entire face. Said face was expressionless and his eyes stared straight ahead.

"How do we know for sure that the snake isn't just hiding inside the Uchiha, waiting for us to drop our guard so he can finish us off?" someone asked.

"Do you doubt my ability as Hokage to protect this village?" the Hokage countered.

The person did not speak again.

"Uchiha Sasuke is guilty of his own crimes," the Hokage continued. "He willingly betrayed the village by leaving and joining forces with Orochimaru. He divulged information to the enemy and cooperated in plotting against our village during that time. For those crimes, he will be punished. However, he is not to be held accountable for the attack on our village. Orochimaru, and Orochimaru alone, is responsible for that."

"Orochimaru is no longer around to take responsibility for what he did," someone else said, "Uchiha _is_ here, however."

"Are you insane?" Naruto suddenly yelled, causing everyone to turn around and pierce him with unfriendly glares. "The snake is dead, what more do you want?"

The man, a ninja that Iruka was not very familiar with, stood up and faced Naruto.

"Are you the one responsible for brining him back, you monster?" the man asked. "We already had enough trouble in the village with you, but now you had to go off and bring another monster. What gives you the right to put our village in more danger than it already is?"

Iruka grabbed Naruto's arm as he stepped forward, holding him in place.

"You really are an idiot, aren't you Touma?" Iruka said, finally putting a name to the face. "We should focus on the positive here."

Touma smirked. "You're the idiot, Umino, if you take up for that monster."

"Enough! Shut up before I have you thrown out," the Hokage said, glaring at all three of them. When it became clear that no one else was going to speak, she continued to talk. Iruka released Naruto's arm and the young man slumped against the wall once again.

"This is my ruling, and I have the council's full approval: Uchiha Sasuke will be allowed to live in the village. He will be under constant supervision until I deem him worthy enough to be allowed on his own. He will not be allowed to be a ninja until I deem it appropriate, but believe me I'm not going to waste a valuable resource like him."

The murmurs from the crowd were quieter this time, but Iruka could tell that the majority of the assembled ninja were not happy with the ruling. A few turned and gave Naruto and Sakura dirty glares, which they were only too happy to return. Iruka got a few of his own, but he was not afraid of standing by his principals. Whatever issues he had with Sasuke he'd work out for Naruto's sake, because he knew how much Sasuke meant to Naruto. Iruka had never been afraid to be on Naruto's side, and he was not about to start now.

"You're free to go, providing that you follow our agreement," the Hokage told Sasuke, who gave her a short nod.

Sasuke stepped off the small stage and made his way through the crowd, who immediately stepped away from him as he passed. They followed him with their eyes, a few murmuring unpleasant things under their breath. When he reached Iruka and his companions, Naruto and Sakura immediately stood on either side of him, daring anyone to do anything. Iruka had to smile at his former student's determination. Let it never be said that Naruto wasn't loyal. He wondered how the villagers, and most of the ninja, could still be so blind to the fact.

"Iruka-sensei," Sasuke said when he reached them.

"Sasuke," Iruka replied uneasily.

"If I hear about anyone, and I mean anyone, harassing Sasuke, Naruto, or Sakura over any of this, I will deal with it personally, do I make myself clear?"

Everyone returned their attention to the Hokage.

"I asked you a question: do I make myself clear?"

There was a chorus of "yes Hokage" and she nodded her approval.

"Very well, this meeting is over."

Everyone began filing out, almost everyone giving the three former teammates glares before they left. The few that didn't either ignored them completely, or came by to say that they were glad to see Sasuke back.

"It's good to see you, Sasuke," Hyuga Hinata said as she made her way out of the crowd. She didn't shy away or avert her eyes as she had when she was younger. Instead, the medical ninja gave the young man a brilliant smile. "It's been a long time."

Sasuke gave her a small nod in acknowledgment, and she quickly left.

An ANBU in full cloak and mask suddenly appeared beside Naruto.

"Some people don't know when to leave well enough alone," the man said, his voice muffled by the mask he wore.

"Some of us still remember what loyalty to a teammate is," Naruto replied.

The ANBU was quiet for a moment, before he tipped his head slightly.

"That stubbornness was bound to pay off sooner or later, I suppose," the ANBU said. "I'm glad you're on our side."

With that, the man disappeared.

"Who was that?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto smirked. "That was Neji. He's gotten dramatic over the years, especially after he became ANBU."

"Well, well," another ANBU remarked as he appeared beside Sasuke. "I should have worked harder in my attempts to dissuade Naruto from keeping that promise, but if it got rid of the snake, I guess we can put up with you."

"You're back, Shikamaru," Naruto said, smiling for the first time that morning. "I didn't think you'd be here."

"Are you kidding, and miss all the fun?" Shikamaru replied as he took off his mask.

"So this is why you two looked so serious yesterday," Ino remarked as she pushed her way through the still departing ninja. "I should have known it had something to do with Sasuke."

Sakura shrugged and rubbed the back of her head. "You're too nosy for your own good, Ino."

Suddenly serious, Ino turned to face Sasuke. "It really is good to see you again, Sasuke."

"It is good to be back," Sasuke replied.

"Well, children, now that the reunion is concluded, I'm going to catch up on some much needed sleep," Kakashi said and disappeared.

Iruka grabbed Naruto's arm and maneuvered him towards the now empty middle of the room.

"We have a lot to talk about, young man," Iruka said, slipping into his elder brother role as easily as he stepped into his teacher's role. "You're not going to get away with not telling me about how all of this came about."

"I know, Iruka-sensei, but just not now," Naruto replied. "There are some things I need to work through first."

"That's understandable," Iruka replied. "Whatever you need, I'm there for you, and you know that, right?"

Naruto gave him a sincere smile that lit up his eyes.

"I know, Iruka-sensei."

"Now go off and spend time with your friends. I'll talk to you later, Naruto."

As Iruka made his way out the door, he heard Naruto inviting everyone to lunch.

&&&&

The whispers were loud and the glares were piercing.

Sasuke didn't mind when they were directed at him, because he more than deserved them. He did mind, however, when the villagers and other ninja that they ran into insulted Sakura and Naruto along with him. Naruto was handling the reaction well. Sasuke shouldn't have been surprised, since the blonde had grown up with this sort of treatment from the villagers. He hadn't deserved the harsh words then and he didn't deserve them now. He turned his head slightly to look at Sakura, whose face was completely devoid of emotion. The look didn't suit her and he felt guilty for being the reason for her withdrawal.

"This is ridiculous," Shikamaru said. "You would think everyone would be rejoicing at the fact that Orochimaru is dead." Ino voiced her agreement and that was the end of the conversation.

After Naruto had proposed that they all go out for lunch, Sasuke had been tempted to decline the invitation and head to his house instead, to get it ready to be lived in again. He had no desire to roam around the village and he hadn't wanted to expose his former teammates to more of the scorn he'd seen in the meeting. If the ninja had reacted that strongly to Sasuke's presence, the villager's reactions were bound to be even stronger. He had not been disappointed. Ino and Shikamaru had received their own glares and it puzzled Sasuke that they wanted to associate themselves with him at all. Why would they put themselves in a position to be mistreated when they didn't have to?

They were currently headed for Naruto's favorite eating place, Ichiraku, after having been refused service at the first three restaurants they'd gone to. Naruto and Sakura had both protested loudly, but they'd been asked to leave anyway. In the end, Naruto had said that he had faith in the old man that had been serving him ramen since he was a kid and would give him one chance to prove it.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Sasuke finally said as they rounded the corner onto the street where the ramen stand had stood for as long as Sasuke could remember.

"What's not a good idea, lunch?" Naruto asked. He gave Sasuke a grin. "I'm starving!"

"You know what I mean, Naruto," Sasuke insisted.

"Naruto is right," Sakura added. "We're not going to go hide just because you're back home, Sasuke," she said.

"I wouldn't have thought that the villager's glares would affect you all that much, Uchiha," Shikamaru added.

"They don't," Sasuke replied and managed to keep the iciness down to a minimum. "If they want to blame me for everything, then fine."

"So what's the problem, then?" Ino wanted to know.

When Sasuke didn't immediately reply, Sakura took it upon herself to provide an answer.

"Don't worry about us, Sasuke; we can take care of ourselves."

Before Sasuke could reply, Naruto clapped his hands. "We're here! Now we can get some decent food."

The small group walked inside the stand, and the owner, Teuchi, greeted them. The automatic greeting died in his throat, however, as his eyes fell on Sasuke. Sasuke schooled his features into a blank slate, while hoping that, for Naruto's sake more than for his own, this man would not turn them away.

Teuchi's gaze left Sasuke to land on Naruto, who had inched closer to his friend. Naruto was tense and Sasuke could already see the argument forming in the blonde's head.

"Welcome," the old man finally said, a small, but sincere smile on his face. "What can I get for you today?"

Naruto expelled the breath he'd been holding and gave the old man a wide grin.

"I'll have a bowl of miso ramen," he exclaimed as he plopped down on the closest stool.

Each person gave the man their order, until only Sasuke was left.

"What can I get for you, young man?" the man asked.

"I'm not hungry," Sasuke said. "I'll just wait for them to finish."

"Nonsense," the old man said. "No one comes in here without eating a bowl of ramen."

He turned around and proceeded to make the food that had been ordered. Sasuke finally took the seat closest to him, which put him on the end beside Naruto. The smell wafting from where the old man was cooking was delicious, but at the same time, it turned Sasuke's stomach and sent his mind wandering to a time he would rather forget.

&&&&

_His right knee screamed with every step that he took, but Sasuke refused to let the pain show on his face. Blood was flowing from various wounds to his face, chest, arms, and legs, enough to leave bloody footprints on the polished, wooden floor as he walked. He walked stiffly, but held his head up high, refusing to show weakness. _

_He didn't have to worry, since most of the people he had run into on the way back to his room avoided looking at him and stayed out of his way. He didn't have to be particularly observant to feel the fear that radiated from them as they scurried away like mice. Orochimaru had made sure that everyone in the village knew who Sasuke belonged to and what his purpose was for being there. Everyone avoided any contact with Sasuke until they were sent on missions. At that time, Sasuke was their leader in Orochimaru's stead, and they feared him as much as they feared Orochimaru. _

_Kabuto was perhaps the only exception. The ninja was respectful, even if Sasuke could tell that he didn't mean a word he said, and was the only one Orochimaru allowed near Sasuke when Sasuke was injured. The medic nin's expertise in the healing arts came in handy often, and Orochimaru trusted no one else with his soon-to-be vessel. Kabuto knew his importance and used it to his advantage whenever possible. _

_Sasuke turned down the hallway that would lead to his room and only then allowed the pain to show on his face. No one else dared enter this part of the compound and Sasuke was sure that neither Kabuto nor Orochimaru would be waiting for him when he arrived in his room. If Orochimaru had wanted Kabuto to heal him, he would have done so already. This time, Orochimaru wanted Sasuke to suffer the "lesson" he'd just been taught so that he never doubted his place again._

_As soon as he entered, Sasuke noticed the strange smell coming from the middle of the room. It was familiar, but he couldn't immediately place it. The smell made his stomach rumble and he realized that he'd not had anything to eat all day. He limped in the direction of the smell and came to a complete halt when he saw what had been left on his dresser: a seaming bowl of miso ramen. _

"_I want miso ramen!"_

_The utterance was so unexpected that it made Sasuke jump. He didn't bother looking around his room, because he knew that the blond, loudmouth that had uttered those words now only existed in his head. His throat constricted at the thought that he would never see that blonde, loudmouth ever again. _

_When he reached the dresser, he bent slightly to get a closer smell of the food. He realized too late that he wasn't alone in his room and he'd fallen for the distraction the ramen had provided. _

"_Never let down your guard, Sasuke."_

_By the time Sasuke reacted, a blade had lodged itself in his lower back. A gasp escaped his lips at the searing pain, and he managed to turn his head enough to see Kabuto's smirking face behind him. His left arm reached out for his own sword, which hung from his belt, but Kabuto twisted the blade inside Sasuke's body, which caused Sasuke to groan and almost collapse. The medical ninja chose that moment to savagely pull the blade out, which sent Sasuke into the dresser face first._

_The bowl of ramen turned over, and the scalding broth burned his face and neck. _

&&&&

Sasuke jerked away when he felt someone touch his back, and one of his hands hit the steaming bowl of miso ramen that had been put in front of him. Some of the broth spilled over onto his hand and Sasuke hissed as the liquid burned him. The smell made his stomach churn and he had to fight the bile rising to his throat. It was a loosing battle, however, so he shoved Naruto, who had been the one to touch him, out of the way and ran out of the stand. He ducked into the closest alley and threw up behind a trash can. He hadn't eaten anything all day, so there wasn't much in his stomach to throw up. His lower back throbbed in remembered pain and he forced his brain to shove the memory and the pain into a corner of his mind.

He heard footsteps behind him and tensed, until he recognized Naruto. The blonde walked slowly towards him, making sure to alert Sasuke of his proximity by shuffling his feet as he walked. When Naruto had reached Sasuke, he held out a glass of water. Sasuke took it and rinsed his mouth, before taking a small sip.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked.

"I'm fine," Sasuke replied.

"I'm sorry. You'd been staring at the bowl for a while and you didn't react when I called your name."

Sasuke shrugged. "It's fine, Naruto."

Naruto clearly wasn't convinced, and Sasuke could see the warring emotions in the blonde's expressive eyes.

"If I'd known you disliked ramen this much, I would have offered to cook something at my place instead," Naruto finally said.

The concerned look in Naruto's eyes touched something in Sasuke, because it had been a long time since he'd seen anyone be concerned for him. He took a deep breath and forced himself to give his friend an explanation. The blonde deserved that much.

"I don't dislike it," Sasuke finally said in a voice that was barely audible, even to him. "Kabuto used it to distract me once and I ended up with his blade buried in my back."

Sasuke refused to take his eyes off Naruto's. He was waiting for the pity that was sure would come and was surprised when instead of pity all he saw was a deeper concern, followed by anger.

"That bastard," Naruto said. "At least he's dead now."

Sasuke nodded in agreement. "Yes, at least he's dead."

The two young men remained quiet for a moment, until Naruto broke the silence.

"Come on, your ramen is getting cold," Naruto said and led Sasuke back to the stand.

Sasuke found everyone's eyes on him as they reentered the stand. He gave them a curt nod before retaking his seat.

"Is everything okay?" the Teuchi asked.

"Everything is fine! Sasuke just ate something that didn't agree with him for breakfast," Naruto said.

The conversations slowly started once again as Sasuke picked up his chopsticks. He wasn't hungry and didn't want to eat the ramen, but it would be idiotic of him to let that one incident affect him this much. He took a small piece of meat and put it in his mouth, then forced himself to chew it and swallow it. He got halfway through the serving before he couldn't eat anymore.

He put the chopsticks down and took another sip of the water. Maybe there was hope for him, after all. Maybe he could make it back from the abyss he'd been in for the last six years with most of his sanity intact. He had to, because if he couldn't, death would be his only other option.

&&&&

Next up: Iruka and Naruto have a long talk; Sasuke visits his parent's grave; Jiraiya shows his soft side; Sakura and Ino indulge in girl talk.


	4. Dark Recesses of the Heart

Greetings! I apologize for the delay in posting this chapter, but I have two other stories that I'm working on at the same time and I try to write a chapter of each so that they don't get neglected.

**Reviews**: I've replied to all signed reviews through the reply feature on the site. I've replied to anonymous reviews on my website. You can find a link to it from my bio page.

**Warnings**: Violence and blood, mentions of what happened in Oto.

I love hearing from you, so feel free to leave a review. Also, constructive criticism is a great form of improvement, so if you notice something that needs work, please let me know. I don't have a beta for this story, so I apologize in advance for any and all mistakes. I try to find all of them, but I don't always catch everything.

Enjoy!

&&&&

**Chapter 4: Dark Recesses of the Heart**

"_You are a foolish little boy."_

_The face that stared at him held a smirk. That alone was not unusual, because Naruto had seen plenty of smirks on that face. The hatred that accompanied the smirk, however, he was not used to. Nothing, not even Itachi, had ever made Sasuke's face as twisted and evil as Orochimaru was making it now._

"_You shouldn't have come," Orochimaru said as he licked the blade of the sword he'd just run through Naruto's stomach. "Your friend is dead, and even if he weren't, he wouldn't want to go back to Konoha."_

_Naruto's anger, which he'd barely managed to reign in since he'd entered the compound, spiked and brought forth a surge of the fox's chakra. The razor thin line that separated his consciousness from that of the demon momentarily blurred, and, for a split second, Naruto existed as a being of pure rage. Power surged through his body, and he rejoiced in knowing that nothing, not even this pesky human in front of him, could stand in his way. _

_As soon as he was able to think again, Naruto pushed the bloodlust back into the dark part of his mind where it belonged. The only time he'd lost control of the demon's power had almost cost Jiraiya his life, and he'd sworn then that he would never lose to the demon's darker urges ever again. He wasn't sure, however, if he would be able to control the demon a second time, so he had to end this confrontation quickly, before Orochimaru used Naruto's momentary lapse to his advantage. _

"_You are a liar," Naruto said, his voice rough, almost a growl. "You told Kakashi that Sasuke was still in there somewhere."_

_Orochimaru laughed and ran his hands through Sasuke's too long hair. The Sharingan eyes bore into Naruto, causing him to shiver in both anticipation and fear. _

"_Kakashi didn't die?" Orochimaru asked as he circled around Naruto. "What a pity."_

_Naruto turned with him, keeping Orochimaru in his sights. Naruto was fast, much faster than anyone else in Konoha, but Orochimaru was a hair faster. Sasuke's Sharingan gave him a clear advantage, which had been used against Naruto too many times already. _

"_Konoha is still in one piece, you bastard," Naruto said. "You didn't destroy it either."_

_Orochimaru stopped circling and crossed his arms, uncaring of the fact that the left arm was gushing blood from where Naruto had almost sliced it off with a Rasengan. _

"_Why do you love that place so much?" Orochimaru asked. "Sasuke's memories tell me that you want to be Hokage, because you want to protect those mindless bastards. Why? Why would you protect those that hate you?"_

_Naruto's heart was momentarily filled with the sadness that still plagued him when the villager's treatment of him was brought up. The sadness was overshadowed by the disgust he felt at hearing Orochimaru mention his dream, however. He felt betrayed, even though he knew Sasuke had probably not willingly told Orochimaru about him or his dream. _

"_The Hokages are all idealistic fools," Orochimaru said when Naruto didn't speak. _

"_For someone who thinks that being Hokage is a waste, you sure reacted strongly when Sandaime Hokage didn't choose you as his successor," Naruto finally said. "Then again, Yondaime Hokage was a much more honorable man that you could ever hope to be."_

_Orochimaru laughed. "Yondaime Hokage is the perfect example," he said. "The idiot died sealing that demon inside you. What did he get out of it but an early grave? The villagers didn't even follow his last request, and they claim to revere him."_

"_What last request?" Naruto asked despite himself. He knew nothing of the Yondaime Hokage and he couldn't help but be curious. _

_Orochimaru bared his teeth. "He wanted you to be seen as a hero, Naruto-kun" he replied, his voice sickly sweet. "Yondaime wanted the villagers to respect his sacrifice and his legacy."_

_The words hit Naruto like a slap in the face. Yondaime had wanted Naruto to be seen as a hero? Why hadn't they?_

_Orochimaru suddenly disappeared, and it took Naruto a half second too long to realize where the snake had gone. When Orochimaru reappeared, Naruto had been pushed against the nearest wall and had a two handed Chidori buried in his chest. Naruto gasped, and choked on the blood that rushed up his throat. He spit it out, and it landed on Sasuke's face, coating it red to match his eyes. . _

_Naruto was numb. He felt the effects of the Chidori and had no doubt that it was still active. Sasuke's familiar face was inches from his own, and even though the eyes were the same and the face was the same, the persona behind them was much more sinister. _

_Suddenly, the eyes blinked. The Sharingan deactivated, leaving Naruto staring at confused, onyx eyes. _

"_Naruto?"_

_The voice was Sasuke's, not Orochimaru's. The face had softened a bit, even though anger still shone through. Naruto wasn't going to be fooled, however. Kakashi had told him that Orochimaru had spoken to him with Sasuke's voice to throw him off guard, and he couldn't afford to lose any more ground. _

"_I'm not going to fall for it, you bastard," Naruto choked out as he forced the demon's chakra to travel to his arms and give them the mobility he desperately needed. _

_Orochimaru was finally close enough to touch. If Naruto was going to perform the releasing seal, he had to do it now, before Orochimaru moved away. _

"_What's happening?" Orochimaru, using Sasuke's voice, asked. _

_Naruto stared at the face of his best friend and for a moment wondered if the confusion and concern in those black eyes was real. Orochimaru's eyes traveled to his hands, which were still buried in Naruto's chest. His eyes widened and the Chidori deactivated. Orochimaru started to pull his arms out, but Naruto forced himself to grab on to Orochimaru's shirt, and then performed the seals that Sakura had spent the last year drilling into him. He channeled a good portion of the chakra he had left into those seals and when he was finished, placed his hands on the closets surface, Orochimaru's chest. _

"_Release!"_

_Orochimaru's black eyes widened and he screamed, first in Sasuke's voice and then in his own voice. The hands buried in Naruto's chest were roughly pulled out as Orochimaru began to spasm, and Naruto dropped to his knees, choking on his own blood. His vision became blurry and he had to force himself to stay on his knees. _

_Naruto coughed blood into his hand and rubbed it against the other hand so that both palms were equally soaked in blood. He looked at Orochimaru, who had fallen to the floor beside Naruto. His eyes were closed, but his body continued to spasm. Suddenly, the body became still and black energy lifted off of Sasuke's body. It looked as if Sasuke had shed a very dark, very malignant skin. _

_The energy hissed and transformed into the shape of a snake. It moved towards Naruto, who used the last of his strength to form a second set of seals, more complicated than the first. He was fueling the technique with his own blood and the demon's chakra. As the energy hit him, Naruto lifted his hands and formed the last seal: the tiger. _

"_Disperse!"_

_There was an ear splitting shriek, before the energy dispersed like confetti. The pieces burned brightly as they floated up to the ceiling, before disappearing entirely. Naruto dropped to all fours, breathing heavily from the chakra drain and blood loss. _

"_Hurry up and heal me, you stupid fox," he muttered to the demon that was already healing the most severe damage. _

_It was going to take a while, though, and he wasn't going to be able to replace the blood he'd lost very quickly. Once his vision wasn't so blurry, he slowly made his way towards Sasuke. The young man looked so still, so dead. Tentatively, Naruto reached out with a bloody hand to touch the place where his hands had burned through the shirt, and Naruto could see the seal that he'd placed on Sasuke's skin. He was relieved to see Sasuke's chest slowly rising and falling as he breathed. _

"_Hang in there, Sasuke, I'll take you home."_

_&&&&_

The banging of his front door against the wall startled Naruto out of his nightmare and he jerked upright on the couch he'd fallen asleep on. His chakra flared at the perceived danger, and in the blink of an eye was on his feet and on top of the intruder. He'd shoved the man against a wall and brought the tip of a shuriken to his neck before Naruto realized who he was staring at.

"What are you doing, Iruka," Naruto yelled, all formality for his former teacher forgotten in his surprise. He stepped away from the elder man and put the shuriken away.

"I'm sorry, but I felt your chakra spike and heard you yell," Iruka explained as he holstered the three kunai he was holding. "My only concern was to make sure you were okay."

Naruto had to smile at his friend's concern. It was no surprise to Naruto that Iruka cared that much about him, but it still felt good every time he experienced Iruka's protectiveness.

"I was asleep," Naruto said. "I think I was having a nightmare."

Naruto closed his door and motioned for Iruka to take a seat on the couch. He then went to the kitchen and put some water on the stove to boil for tea.

"Do you want to talk about the nightmare?" Iruka asked.

Naruto sighed. The only bad part about Iruka's concern was that he would not be content with Naruto's assurance that everything was fine. The nightmare, more of a memory, really, still clung to Naruto like a second skin and he needed a minute to pull himself out of it. He felt phantom pains where the Chidori had pierced skin, bones, and organs, and had to resist the urge to rub at his chest. In the end, the foolish plan he'd undertaken had worked out, but it all could have gone so horribly wrong.

"You can't tell me that everything is okay, Naruto," Iruka said when Naruto didn't reply. "You were terrified. As soon as I got close enough to feel your chakra, I felt your terror."

Naruto shivered slightly as a piece of the memory surfaced and he forcibly shoved it to the back of his mind. As much as he respected and cared for Iruka, Naruto didn't think that he could put that memory into words. He _had_ been terrified. Never before had he felt such overwhelming terror and helplessness, and it was through sheer force of will, and luck, that he was still standing. It was a terror, however, that he would keep to himself. No one else needed to bear the burden with him, and he was glad that Sasuke didn't remember the confrontation.

"Naruto," Iruka began again, but was interrupted when the tea pot whistled.

Naruto took the distraction gratefully. He left his friend for a moment to go make tea, and used the time to fully prepare himself for what was to come. A talk with Iruka was unavoidable at this point, but Naruto had to make sure that all of his emotions were well hidden away before he even opened his mouth. He muted his chakra to a level that he could maintain constant, to prevent Iruka from reading it to determine his state of mind. After all, he didn't want to give Iruka more reason to worry.

When the tea was finished, Naruto took it back to the living room. He handed Iruka a cup and then sat beside Iruka, his legs crossed under him. The heat of the tea bled into his hands and Naruto took what comfort he could from it.

"What happened when you went to Oto? How did you manage to bring Sasuke back?" Iruka asked.

Naruto almost sighed in relief at the change in topic, but wisely refrained from doing so. He took a small sip of tea and winced as the liquid burned down his throat, momentarily reminding him of what it had been like to feel his blood rushing to his mouth.

"Most of it is a blur," Naruto finally said. "I remember thinking on the way there that this was the one chance I had, that if I failed this time, I was going to lose my life and more than likely push Orochimaru towards attacking Konoha once again."

He paused for a moment and regarded his former teacher. If there was anyone in his life that he could truly be honest with, Iruka was that man. Their relationship had become rather distant when Naruto decided to devote his time to training, but Iruka had never held that against him. The elder ninja had always been available with a friendly ear when Naruto had stopped by, which had meant a great deal to the young man. Naruto would honor the man's loyalty now by trusting him with a small piece of the ordeal.

"When I got there, I lost it, Iruka-sensei," Naruto finally continued. "I couldn't tell you how many ninjas I encountered or who they were. I don't even remember how I knew where to go once I got inside the compound. All I remember feeling is a need to get to where Sasuke was."

Naruto paused to gather his spinning thoughts into some semblance of order. Iruka watched him carefully, his face guarded.

"I felt like I was being pulled," Naruto finally continued. "The fox was very close to the surface, urging me to kill or be killed."

Iruka's eyes widened at the admission, but the man remained quiet.

"I could tell that even that felt wrong," Naruto added.

"How was it wrong?" Iruka asked.

Naruto shook his head, momentarily unable to put into words what he'd felt at the time. He wrung his hands together nervously, even now feeling the prickle of energy that had washed over him as soon as he'd entered Orochimaru's compound.

"The demon has always been violent," Naruto admitted, "but after all of these years, we've come to an understanding. There was something pulling at the demon as well, making him more violent then usual."

"Do you think it was something Orochimaru was doing?" Iruka asked.

"It could have been. He wasn't surprised when I finally found him, so he had to have known I was close from the moment I breached his defenses."

Iruka remained quiet, lost in his own thoughts, for a long moment. Naruto looked down at his hands, suddenly unable to meet his friend's eyes.

"The fight with Orochimaru couldn't have been easy," Iruka finally said.

"No," Naruto replied, still not meeting Iruka's eyes.

He said nothing more and silence reigned once again, until Iruka sighed.

"I'll respect your wish for silence, Naruto, but I want you to know that if at some point, you do want to share that with me, you're more than welcome to."

Naruto finally looked up to see a small smile on Iruka's face.

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei," Naurto said, thanking the man for more than just his offer.

Naruto could clearly see the indecision in his friend's eyes and wondered how long it would take for Iruka to make up his mind on whether or not to say what was on his mind. Naruto didn't have to wait very long.

"Why didn't you tell anyone of your plans?" Iruka finally asked. "It was dangerous for you and Sakura to do this alone."

"Who would we have told?" Naruto countered. "We didn't want to take the risk of Tsunade finding out and stopping us."

"Did Kakashi know?" Iruka asked.

Naruto shook his head. "He wouldn't have let us go through with it if he knew."

Iruka nodded in agreement. "How did you get back? I can't imagine the fight with Orochimaru leaving either of you in good shape."

"Jiraiya pulled the truth out of Sakura and he got to us in time."

Iruka smiled. "I'm glad to know that the old pervert is good for something."

Naruto laughed. "He's a good guy, when he's on your side."

They shared the companionable silence for a good while, until Iruka broke it.

"What's going to happen now? Sasuke's return is not going to be handled well by any of the villagers, not to mention the other ninja. Resentments tend to run very deep in this village."

"I know," Naruto replied. "We'll just have to deal with it as it comes."

"What about you?" Iruka continued. "How are you?"

Naruto smiled. "I'm fine, Iruka-sensei," he automatically replied.

Iruka raised a stern eyebrow, like he used to do at the academy when he'd caught Naruto in a lie. Naruto cringed under the scrutiny, feeling like a ten-year-old all over again. Iruka would never lose that power over him, no matter how old Naruto got.

"I'll be fine," he corrected. "What's done is done."

There was a note of finality to that statement that seemed to touch something in Iruka, because the man's face suddenly became sad. He stared at Naruto with eyes that made Naruto wish, not for the first time, that he could read what was going on behind them.

"There's something else, isn't there, Naruto?"

Now it was Naruto's turn to be caught off guard. During the past six years, Naruto had perfected the act of keeping his feelings hidden, so it still surprised him when Iruka was able to read him anyway. Naruto contemplated lying to his friend, but that lasted only for a second or two. Iruka would more than likely read the lie anyway, and he'd be in deeper trouble for it. He took a deep breath to calm himself and released it slowly.

"I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do now," Naruto finally admitted.

Iruka regarded him silently, waiting for Naruto to continue at his own pace.

"I'm not foolish enough to expect things to go back to the way they were when I was twelve. Everything's changed now, Iruka-sensei. I'm not who I was then and Sasuke has been through something that I can't possibly imagine."

Naruto paused to fight the guilt that threatened to claw its way to the surface and the sting of tears in his eyes.

"Sasuke told Sakura and me that we'd made a mistake in bringing him back, that we'd brought back only a shell of what used to be our friend," Naruto added, his voice barely above a whisper. "What if he's right? What if we can't help him get back to some semblance of normal? What do we do then?"

Iruka set his cup on the table in front of them, the sound of the porcelain hitting the wood sounding as loud as a gun going off.

"Do you regret the last six years?" Iruka finally asked. "Do you regret the sacrifices you made in searching for Sasuke? Do you regret defying everything you knew on a reckless risk that could have put all of us in danger?"

Naruto was speechless for a moment in the wake of Iruka's heartfelt questions. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound issued forth. He had to try a few times before his voice returned to him.

"Of course I don't regret any of it, Iruka-sensei," Naruto finally replied. "I wouldn't take any of it back."

"There is your answer, Naruto," Iruka replied. "Look forward and know that you'll be strong enough to deal with the consequences of your actions."

Naruto stared at his teacher, wondering when the man had become so damn wise, before he gave Iruka a small, genuine smile. Iruka patted Naruto's cheek, before ruffling his hair.

"Stop that, Iruka-sensei," Naruto yelled as he moved away from the offending hand. "I'm not a kid anymore!"

"Naruto, you're always going to be a kid in my eyes," Iruka said. "How about we go out for an early dinner, my treat?"

Naruto's smile transformed into a full grin as he jumped off the couch.

"Ichiraku here we come," Naruto said and practically pulled his former teacher off the couch and out the door.

&&&&

Sasuke found his newfound freedom strange.

For the last three years, he'd lived in a corner of his mind, watching as someone else lived the life that was supposed to be his. He'd lived for those small moments when he could regain control of his body and participate in the world around him. Sasuke was always punished for the indiscretion, but all of the pain Orochimaru inflicted on him had been worth it, if only to momentarily feel that he was still alive.

Now that he was the only resident in his mind, Sasuke found himself still expecting to feel Orochimaru's presence. Twice since he'd left Naruto and his friends, Sasuke thought that he'd felt a trace of Orochimaru still in his mind. In those instances, Sasuke had stood absolutely still and had retreated to his own place in his mind, waiting for the snake to come forth and rage at him for defying him. Nothing had happened and Sasuke had slowly come out of his hiding place and resumed control of his body.

The last incident, which had happened as he'd walked by the pier he used to spend so much time sitting on, had left him edgy and confused. What was wrong with him? He was free and back where he was supposed to be. Why couldn't he simply accept that?

"It shouldn't be this hard," Sasuke whispered to himself as he trudged down the street.

He'd spent the last two hours wondering around the village, visiting places he'd known well but that now felt alien and unwelcome. After the tension and constant vigilance that he'd had to endure while he'd been in Oto, before Orochimaru had taken over his body, Konoha's relaxed atmosphere made Sasuke want to scream. Why weren't these people more concerned about their welfare? Didn't they understand that someone could come over the walls and kill them at any moment?

Sasuke had made the mistake of walking by the academy and had been rewarded with a barrage of memories that he'd thought he'd buried long ago. The one that came to the forefront had, interestingly enough, nothing to do with him. Instead, Sasuke had found himself by the empty playground, picturing a much younger Naruto sitting on one of the swings, watching as parents led their children away to their homes. Naruto had never known, but Sasuke had sometimes watched Naruto just sit there with a look of sadness and longing on his face. He'd watched the blonde boy because he'd wondered if that was what his own face had looked like when he walked into his empty house.

The moment had been shattered when a little girl had come running by him and promptly tripped over some loose stones, scraping her knees. She's started to cry, and Sasuke had reached out to pick her up before he'd realized he'd moved. Before he'd reached her, however, her father had pushed him aside and picked up the child himself. After warning Sasuke not to touch his daughter and telling him a few more choice words, the man had left. Sasuke had decided then that he'd had enough of the village and had headed home.

He had not paid attention to what route he'd chosen on his way out of the main part of the village and suddenly found himself in the middle of the shopping district. The street was very crowded and he bumped into a couple of people. As soon as they realized who had bumped into them, their faces had gone white with terror and they'd quickly moved away from him. The reaction stung more than Sasuke wanted to admit, but he kept his eyes forward and his face impassive.

He'd almost made it out of the shopping district when a comment caught his attention and made him stop in the middle of the busy street.

"Is that who I think it is?"

Sasuke turned to find a young woman staring at him from in front of a dress shop. Her eyes were wide and she had her hands clasped in front of her chest. Another woman stood beside her, and when she noticed that Sasuke was watching them, she spit in his direction.

"Yeah, that's the traitor," the second woman said loudly to her companion. "He's the one that almost destroyed the village last year."

A man exited the small shop next to the one the two women were standing in front of and stopped in his tracks when he noticed Sasuke.

"What do you want?" the man said. "Are you here to finish what you started last year? Leave!"

The fear in the man's eyes, and the contempt in the women's, plucked at a string Sasuke had thought he'd buried when he'd left for Oto. He'd never cared what people thought of him before, but he found that the man's words cut deep and left a gaping wound. Sasuke grit his teeth and turned away from them. A small crowd had formed all around him, and they now pointed at him and whispered amongst themselves.

"How could the Hokage have let him come back here?" a man said. "That's just asking for trouble."

"Why isn't he being punished for what he's done?" a woman asked.

"He shouldn't be allowed to roam the streets like us," another man said.

There were no more than twenty people gathered, but Sasuke could see that more were coming to see what the commotion was all about. Deciding that it was time to end this, Sasuke did what he was sure would send them all running. He reached up and unbound the leather tie that held his hair. It cascaded down his back and around his face, and a few people actually gasped. Sasuke, in turn, glared into the crowd. The few people he locked eyes with immediately looked away.

"You are entitled to think what you want," Sasuke finally said.

Without another word, he resumed his walk back to his neighborhood. He didn't quicken his pace, even though he wanted to get away from the stares he could still feel on him as soon as possible. He felt something warm on his right hand and looked to see that his fingernails had drawn blood when he'd clenched it. He wiped the palm on his black pants and forced his shoulders to relax and put the encounter out of his mind.

He had almost made it out of the village's residential area when he felt them. There were four ninja behind him, moving slowly, but definitely after him. They weren't the ANBU that had followed him all day, because Sasuke felt their chakra somewhere ahead of him. The ninja were carefully masking their chakra so all Sasuke felt from them was purpose. They were experienced, if it had taken Sasuke this long to notice them.

Sasuke quickened his pace a bit. If there was going to be a confrontation, he wanted it to be out of the residential area and closer to his deserted neighborhood. He had almost made it to the gates of the Uchiha neighborhood when he felt a shuriken arcing towards his head. He turned and easily caught it.

"You should know better than to give me a weapon," Sasuke said and twirled the shuriken around his finger.

Two ninja appeared in front of him; both dressed in jounin uniforms and black masks. He felt the other two take up positions behind him, and he didn't have to turn around to realize that they, too, were jounin and had more than likely also concealed their identities.

"So what are you going to do with that, impale one of us with it?" one of the jounin in front of him said.

Sasuke shrugged. "That would be a waste of my time."

He threw the shuriken at the man who had spoken, purposely aiming it to go close, but not touch, the ninja. He smirked when the man jumped out of the way. He had strict orders from the Hokage not to engage in any spars, fights, or handle any weapons. He was also forbidden from using ninjutsu, genjutsu, the Sharingan, and he was especially forbidden to use his summons. In effect, the Hokage had tied Sasuke's hands behind his back. These ninja were more than likely aware of that, which was why they felt they could approach him out in the open.

"Since you see fit to walk among the villagers like you've done nothing wrong, we thought we'd show you what we think of traitors around here."

Sasuke didn't turn around to see which of the men behind him had spoken. He didn't really care. If these idiots came close to him, he would just leave. They couldn't cross the Uchiha gates, because if they did, Sasuke had a right to defend himself and his property, which he was sure the ninja were well aware of as well. Granted, the property wasn't exactly his, but these idiots probably didn't know that.

Suddenly, a fifth chakra signature registered in Sasuke's mind. He'd barely moved to dodge the attack, when a hand came up out of the ground, grabbed his legs and forced him to his knees. His hands immediately went to perform a seal, but then thought better of it. The other ninja used the opportunity and grabbed his hair, forcing his head back. The ninja put a kunai to Sasuke's throat hard enough to draw blood. Sasuke stood deathly still both to avoid getting cut deeper and to avoid further aggravating the men.

"We could kill you right now if we wanted," the man whose kunai was at Sasuke's throat said.

"Then why don't you," Sasuke hissed, the movement causing the kunai to further slice into his throat. "Do us all a favor."

Sasuke's arms were at his sides and it would take very little to pull the kunai away from the man. However, there were four others, including the one that had his hands wrapped around Sasuke's legs. If he extracted himself from the two that were holding him, what would the others do? Would they turn even deadlier when fear got the better of them?

"Does attacking a man that you know can't defend himself make you feel more like a ninja?"

The voice startled the man holding him and Sasuke could feel the man's body move as he looked for the person that had spoken. Sasuke inwardly groaned at his predicament. Of all the people that could have found them, why did it have to be that old man?

"Are you on his side?" the ninja holding Sasuke said. "You would protect a traitor?"

"I'm not protecting anyone," the older man said. "I'm sure Sasuke could take the five of you out without breaking a sweat, if the Hokage had not given him reasons to do otherwise. I simply find it disgusting that you would resort to something like this."

The man's kunai suddenly withdrew from Sasuke's throat and he was shoved forward. He caught himself with his hands, and by the time he'd gotten to his feet, the five ninja were gone.

"I could have taken care of that, Jiraiya," Sasuke said as he dusted his hands on his pants.

"I'm sure you would have," Jiraiya replied as he jumped down from the roof he'd been perched on to stand beside Sasuke. "Like I said, I find it disgusting that they would take advantage of the Hokage's orders like that."

Sasuke shrugged and continued his walk. He pushed his hair out of his face and fished in his pocket for the leather tie.

"The hair alone freaks them out," Jiraiya commented as he fell into step beside Sasuke.

"I know," Sasuke replied as he finished the ponytail. "Why do you think I haven't had it cut?"

The two men walked in silence until the Uchiha gates came into view.

"Where are you going?" Sasuke asked as he realized that the hermit had no intention of stopping.

"What do you mean where am I going?" the man asked. "You have been officially made my responsibility and I am going to make sure that you're not going to be living in a slum."

"What?" Sasuke asked. "What do you mean 'your responsibility'"?

Both men stood outside of the Uchiha neighborhood and glared at each other. Sasuke found his temper raising a notch every minute Jiraiya spent glaring at him in silence.

"Answer me!"

Jiraiya sighed. "Tsunade has decided that, since I brought you back, you are my responsibility," the man finally said. "I'm to make sure that you adhere to the rules she has set forth and to see that you have what you need."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the man's words, but he fought down the anger that was quickly replacing the annoyance he'd felt when Jiraiya had first appeared. He shouldn't be surprised. It was in the Hokage's best interest to keep a close eye on Sasuke, and who better to do it than her old teammate?

"Kakashi knows me better," Sasuke said. "He's better suited to watch me."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Kakashi didn't drag your, and Naruto's, sorry ass back here and then drag Tsunade and Shizune out of bed so that they could heal you. In Tsunade's eyes, that makes you my responsibility."

"What about Naruto? Isn't he already your responsibility?" Sasuke asked, looking for any excuse to get this man away from him as soon as possible. Orochimaru's memories of this man were warring with his own, limited ones, and Sasuke was afraid that if Jiraiya didn't leave soon, he was going to let something slip.

"Naruto has come a long way from when you knew him," Jiraiya said, unmistakable pride in his voice, "he doesn't need me to watch him. You, however, do."

The explanation only worked to incense Sasuke further.

"I'm not a child in need of constant attention," Sasuke countered. "When I was, no one was around to give it."

Sasuke shut his mouth with a click as soon as that last phrase had left it. What the hell was wrong with him? The man standing in front of him could care less about his sorry past, and Sasuke had thought that he'd long ago buried the childish feelings surrounding his clan's massacre.

Jiraiya examined him for a moment, leaving Sasuke feeling exposed and making him feel very small.

"Well, kid, you have that attention now," Jiraiya said and entered the Uchiha neighborhood ahead of Sasuke, who had no choice but to follow him.

&&&&

The sound of glass shattering echoed off the walls of the kitchen, making Sakura jump.

"Damn it!" she yelled as she took a step back to avoid the soup that she'd just spilled all over her floor.

She took her apron off and threw it over the mess to contain it while she got her cleaning supplies out of the closet. As she rummaged for the mop, she heard someone knocking on the front door.

"Come it, it's open!" she yelled, hoping that whoever it was heard her.

When she had what she needed, she turned around and shrieked when she almost ran into someone.

"Geez, you're jumpy this evening," Ino said.

"You scared me, Ino."

Ino put her hands on her hips and stared at Sakura. "You told me to come in."

Sakura sighed and went about picking up the mess she'd made on the floor.

"The soup had ended up really good, too," Sakura said, bemoaning the loss of the dish she'd spent hours making.

"Are you expecting company, Sakura? It looks like you're cooking for an army."

Sakura shrugged sheepishly. "You're the only one I'm expecting, Ino, but I was going to stop by Naruto's later and take him and Sasuke some food."

Sakura returned to the remaining dishes, pointedly ignoring the look Ino gave her. The two women remained quiet for a moment, until Ino broke the silence.

"How long were you planning on keeping it a secret?" Ino asked and Sakura winced at the betrayal she heard in her friend's voice.

Sakura sighed. She had expected Ino to be the first to stop by, and her long time friend hadn't disappointed her. If anything, Sakura was surprised that Ino hadn't grilled her while they'd been at Ichiraku earlier.

"We couldn't tell anyone, Ino, it was too risky."

It was Ino's turn to sigh. The young woman pulled out a stool and sat down at the small table where Sakura was chopping vegetables. Sakura felt the woman's eyes on her and it unnerved her that Ino just wouldn't say what was on her mind.

"I wouldn't have told anyone," Ino finally said.

Sakura put the knife down on the chopping board harder than she'd intended, which made Ino wince. She took a few breaths to calm herself. Why did talking to Ino always have to feel like an inquisition?

"It wasn't a matter of you saying anything or not, Ino," Sakura said. "We couldn't tell anyone, not until we either accomplished what we wanted or failed miserably."

Silence reigned once again, but it was Sakura who broke it this time.

"Naruto would have paid the price if we'd failed, since he went alone."

Guilt washed over her, as it always did when she thought about the fact that she'd agreed to the plan regardless of the consequences. Naruto had succeeded, but if he'd failed… Sakura didn't even want to think about that.

"Why, Sakura?" Ino asked. "After all of this time, why still go after him?"

Sakura fought the anger the questions brought, because they weren't new and she knew that anger would have no effect on Ino anyway. The woman was stubborn and had known Sakura long enough to know how to deal with her. Besides, this wasn't a conversation that either of them hadn't had before, except that this time, bringing Sasuke back was a reality, not a hopeless dream.

"If Shikamaru or Choji were in trouble, you'd go after them, right?" Sakura asked.

"Not if they turned traitor," Ino quickly responded.

Sakura's smile was bitter when she regarded her friend. "You say that now, Ino, but if it ever actually happened, you'd be hard pressed to stick to your words, even if a childish crush was not involved."

Ino returned the stare for a moment, but broke it off a moment later. She placed her hands on top of the table, and Sakura could see that they were shaking slightly.

"Sasuke was our teammate," Sakura said, answering Ino's earlier question. "He was our responsibility and we just couldn't let him go."

"So what happens now? You saw yourself how the villager's reacted to him. You and Naruto have brought him back to a village where he'll be feared and scorned, and you two will be hated and scorned because of it."

The knife that had been in Sakura's hands suddenly wasn't, and Ino turned to see that it had been embedded in the nearest wall.

"What would you have had us do, leave him with Orochimaru to be used, and move on like he was never a part of our lives?"

Ino opened her mouth to reply, but Sakura cut her off.

"I know that he made a choice to leave, Ino! Why does everyone keep telling us that? Are Naruto and I the only ones that still believe in loyalty to a teammate, a friend?"

Sakura slumped into the nearest stool and rested her head on her hands. Tears threatened to spill, but she fought them off. She'd cried enough already and she would not give Ino the satisfaction of seeing her cry now.

The tense silence was broken by Ino's chuckle. "You're as stubborn as ever, Haruno," the young woman said, "and you have my support. I just hope that you're ready for the heartache that is going to come from this."

Sakura raised her head and found her friend smiling fondly at her.

"Naruto and I wouldn't have done it if we weren't willing to pay the price."

The conversation was interrupted by a rather urgent knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Ino said and left Sakura alone in the kitchen to gather her thoughts and pull herself together. She pulled the knife she'd thrown out of the wall, washed it, and resumed chopping vegetables.

Voices from the living room caught her attention. She wasn't expecting anyone and most people that stopped by called her first. Who would be coming now?

"Slow down you idiot," Ino shouted from the living room, "You're going to break something."

Sakura frowned, but before she could ask who Ino was talking to, she found herself face to face with Rock Lee, Choji, Shikamaru, Yamaguchi Akira, and Takahashi Kumiko.

"What the hell are you all doing here?" Sakura asked, rather annoyed at the unexpected company. "Don't you people know to call ahead?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and strolled over to the other end of the kitchen and sat himself on the small window seat. Choji had made his way to the stove to smell what she was cooking, while Lee had come to stand directly in front of her. It was Lee who finally spoke.

"Is it true? Is Uchiha Sasuke really back?" Lee asked.

"We just got back from our mission and heard the news," Kumiko, Lee's teammate and fellow medic ninja said.

"That's just weird," Akira, Lee's other teammate, added. "I've never met the guy, but the whole damn town is talking about it."

Sakura sighed. "Why didn't you go bug Naruto instead?" she asked.

Lee's eyes widened. "Why would we, when we know you so much better?" he asked and winked at her.

"Naruto wasn't at his apartment," Shikamaru said. "We went there first."

Resigned, Sakura threw the vegetables she'd chopped into the frying pan. "Choji, make the rice so I can feed all of these people."

Choji did as asked and in no time, the two of them had dinner prepared. So much for the food she was going to take Naruto and Sasuke.

"Let's eat," Sakura said as she shoved everyone into the dining room. "You can ask all the questions you want then."

Shikamaru, who was the last one to leave the kitchen, stopped beside her.

"I tried to discourage them from coming, but they were curious," he said.

"Its okay, Shikamaru, they're here; they might as well hear the truth before they start believing the rumors."

Sakura took a deep breath and prepared herself the long evening ahead.

&&&&

"Are we certain that it was a ninja from Konoha?"

Yukio, the leader of Kirigakure's ANBU, was quick with is reply. "It wasn't just any ninja from Konoha, my lord; it was Kakashi the Copy Ninja."

The Mizukage was immediately on alert.

"Why would Konoha send Kakashi unless they're planning an attack?" the man asked.

"They might have been warned of our recent movements and have sent the copy ninja to confirm what they'd heard," Hisato, the Mizukage's closest advisor replied. "If that is the case, they will soon be on alert."

The Mizukage stood and paced the length of his office. "According to our information, Konoha has still not recovered from the attack from Oto last year," he said. "They are defenseless while all they have for protection is snot nosed Genin. If we are to take advantage of the situation, we should do so right now."

"They have the vessel of the nine-tailed fox," Yukio pointed out. "He's a formidable ninja, if the reports are to be believed."

"He can be taken out first," Hisato stated. "From what I've seen in the reports, the boy lives on the outskirts of the village, in a sparsely populated area. If we can get over the wall at a point closest to him, we should have little difficulty in getting rid of him."

The Mizukage nodded his agreement. "Yukio, put together a small, but highly specialized squad. While you are away we will prepare our forces and head for Konoha. We will meet there."

Yukio grinned as he bowed to his leader. "I will do as you ask with pleasure, my lord. I will have my squad ready for inspection first thing in the morning."

The Mizukage nodded and dismissed the two men. When they were gone, he headed for the windows that lined his office and he studied the water that surrounded them. His village had been in the shadows for far too long and he finally had the resources to do something about it. Konoha was weak, and if he succeeded in conquering it, it would send word to the other hidden villages that they were not to be opposed. If he were fortunate enough, he might even be able to negotiate a treaty with Otogakure.

The Mizukage smiled. Patience was a virtue that many men lacked, but one that would bring him glory very soon.

&&&&

See, there is a plot after all. It just took me a bit to get to it.


	5. Unfinished Business

**Happy New Year! **

I hope that you have all enjoyed the holidays and are ready to start yet another, hopefully rewarding, year! My gift to you all is an extra long chapter. Enjoy!

I've been very surprised by the reaction to this story. Thank you all so much for reviewing, adding the story to your favorites and/or C2s, and especially for recommending it. My goal is to entertain, so the more people to read it the better.

**Warnings**: mainly language in this chapter, nothing major.

As always, I apologize in advance for spelling, grammar, and other errors you might find. I never manage to get them all. Enjoy!

Posted 1/1/07

&&&&

**Chapter 5: Unfinished Business**

Stepping into what used to be the proud Uchiha neighborhood was like stepping into a reality devoid of sound and warmth. Chills raced up and down Sasuke's body, and it took everything he had not to rub his arms. He risked a glance beside him and saw that Jiraiya was experiencing a similar reaction, if the slight shudder that went through the man was any indication.

"There are a lot of ghosts in this place," Jiraiya said.

Irritation rushed through Sasuke at Jiraiya's comment and a response immediately came to mind and was out of his mouth before he had even acknowledged it.

"Stating the obvious again, Jiraiya? Read more so you'll have something intelligent to say."

Sasuke's mouth snapped shut as Jiraiya turned to face him, shock clearly written across the elder ninja's features.

"Where did you hear that?" Jiraiya asked.

The man's face had gone almost as pale as his hair and his hands had clenched into fists at his sides. He was looking at Sasuke with an intensity that kept the young man rooted to his spot.

Sasuke didn't have a reply, because the comment had caught him as much by surprise as it had Jiraiya. The response had simply been in his head, and it had felt natural to say it, as if he'd said it thousands of times before. It felt as natural as when he'd called Naruto an idiot or a moron when they were teammates.

"Answer me, Sasuke," Jiraiya insisted. He grabbed Sasuke's shoulders and shook them.

"I don't know," Sasuke finally said. "I just…"

He trailed off, and Jiraiya's grip on his shoulders increased, making the young man wince.

"Orochimaru used to say that to me," Jiraiya finally said.

Sasuke's body went rigid at Jiraiya's comment. His surroundings melted away until he was no longer seeing Jiraiya as Sasuke knew him, but instead was looking at a much younger and much shorter version of the man.

"_Stating the obvious again, Jiraiya? Read more so you'll have something intelligent to say."_

_Sasuke heard himself say the words, but it was not his voice that emerged. Instead, the voice was one that he was well acquainted with, even if it was higher pitched and much more childish than Sasuke remembered._

_Jiraiya's eyes narrowed in anger as he got closer to Sasuke. "Why don't you try being less of a prick?" Jiraiya countered._

"_Your opinion of me is unimportant," Sasuke said. "Really, Jiraiya, how do you expect to become a respectable ninja with your current level of intelligence?"_

_Jiraiya's face turned red and he rushed Sasuke, who easily dodged the punch aimed at his face. He grabbed the fist and twisted it behind Jiraiya, causing the white haired teenager to grunt and lean forward to take the pressure off his arm. _

"_See?" Sasuke said. "Brute strength will get you nowhere if you don't have the cunning to go with it."_

_Jiraiya's foot connected with Sasuke's shin, which startled him enough to let go of Jiraiya's arm. Jiraiya immediately turned around and threw another punch, but Sasuke dodged this one as well. As Jiraiya's momentum brought him past Sasuke, he struck the teenager in the lower back, causing Jiraiya to lose his balance and fall flat on his face. _

"_Jiraiya, Orochimaru, stop fighting!"_

_Sasuke turned towards the voice and found a very young, and very angry, Tsunade making her way towards them. By the time she reached them, Jiraiya had picked himself up and was standing well away from Sasuke. _

"_Stop acting like children," Tsunade chided. "We're a team; we're supposed to be working together, not fighting each other."_

"_He started it," Jiraiya said. _

"_You didn't have to finish it," Tsunade countered. "You are way too old to be acting like this."_

_Jiraiya sent Sasuke a glare. "You can preach all you want about us being a team, Tsunade, but we both know that Orochimaru would rather be on his own," Jiraiya said. "If it weren't for the fact that he's Sarutobi-sensei's favorite, he would have already been put somewhere else."_

_Sasuke watched as Jiraiya continued to ramble and Tsunade attempted to calm him down, and felt nothing for either of them. They were his teammates, which made them a necessary burden fort the moment. He watched their backs, not because he felt the need to, but because it was his job to make sure that everyone returned from their missions in one piece. They were both useless and would one day meet the death they deserved, but not yet. Once he convinced Sarutobi-sensei that he was better off on his own, pursuing his own interests, he wouldn't have to tolerate them anymore. Until then, he would pass the time by making sure that Jiraiya understood his place on the team. _

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke blinked a few times until reality took shape around him once again. He felt lightheaded, and if Jiraiya hadn't been holding on to him, Sasuke had a feeling that he would have ended up in a heap on the ground.

Orochimaru's blatant disregard for his teammates and his single minded determination to fulfill his own goals hit way too close to home and made Sasuke sick to his stomach. The memory had made it painfully clear that he was no different than Orochimaru had been at his age. What right did he have to feel superior to the man he had called 'teacher' for three years when, if Orochimaru hadn't needed his body as a container, it was very likely that Sasuke would have ended up as twisted and as power hungry as Orochimaru had been?

Everything he had endured in Oto, from the rigorous training and abuse to ending up a prisoner in his own body, was all his own doing. No one forced him to leave. If anything, Sakura and Naruto both tried to get him to stay, but he'd been so set on his own agenda that he'd walked into the snake's nest on his own two feet. Sasuke had already betrayed his teammates, his teacher, and his village once because of his selfishness and his desire for power. What was to say that he wouldn't do it again if something important enough came up?

"Sasuke?" Jiraiya tried a second time.

Sasuke pulled himself out of the mental hole he'd slowly been sinking into and pushed Jiraiya's hands off his shoulders. He inwardly cringed when he saw that his hands were shaking.

"You don't need to be here, Jiraiya," Sasuke finally said, his voice calm despite his inner turmoil. "This place is my responsibility and I will take care of it on my own. I don't need you or anyone else to get in the way."

Jiraiya's eyes bored into Sasuke's, as if the man could read Sasuke's soul if he only stared hard enough. Sasuke had to turn his back on the legendary ninja in order to keep him from seeing anything else.

"You're not going to answer my question, are you?" Jiraiya finally asked.

"I already answered it," Sasuke said.

Sasuke resumed the walk towards his former home, acutely aware of Jiraiya's every movement behind him. Now that the floodgates of the memories Orochimaru had left behind had been opened, Sasuke knew things about Jiraiya that he shouldn't know. The contempt and disdain Orochimaru had felt for Jiraiya now flowed through Sasuke as if they were his own. What disturbed him the most was that those feelings were no different than what he'd once felt towards Naruto.

Jiraiya could never know that Sasuke had Orochimaru's memories. The earlier slip, while unconscious on his part, had been dangerous. Sasuke could not allow that to happen again. Contrary to Orochimaru's belief, Sasuke did not think that Jiraiya was unintelligent. Sasuke was sure that his comment earlier had prickled Jiraiya's suspicion already, and if that suspicion was confirmed, Jiraiya would no doubt tell the Hokage, and if that happened…

Sasuke cut off the train of thought before it could spiral out of control. He would just have to make sure that the incident never happened again. He returned his attention to his surroundings and was surprised to find that he'd reached what used to be his home. The house was in a state of complete disrepair, which suddenly made the years that he'd been gone very apparent to Sasuke. The once proud structure bore the effects of neglect: faded paint, broken doors and windows, holes in the walls from storms or vandals that hadn't been repaired, and a general sense of abandonment. The proud Uchiha fans that had once adorned the walls of the estate were now faded and barely distinguishable. It was fitting for a clan with only one remaining survivor.

"This place has seen better days," Jiraiya commented.

"What gave you that idea?" Sasuke muttered under his breath, not bothering to hide the sarcasm.

Without waiting for Jiraiya, Saskue walked through the broken front door and into the house he'd left six years before, and had to stop a second time. For a moment as he'd walked inside, he had seen his mother standing in front of him, smiling, holding out his slippers for him to put on. He'd blinked and the image disappeared, but the pang of loss, which he hadn't allowed himself to feel for more than half of his life, remained.

"Is there something wrong, Sasuke?" Jiraiya asked.

In response, Sasuke took off his shoes and walked deeper into the house. The floor was dusty and full of debris that had made their way inside through the broken windows. Walking barefoot was probably not a good idea, but he couldn't bring himself to put on his shoes. What little furniture remained in the living room was dusty, dirty, and strewn about as if the owner hadn't been able to make up his mind about where each piece should go. The inside walls, thankfully, were still whole. He'd have to go up to the roof to see in what condition that was in once he'd taken a look at the entire inside of the house.

There was still enough sunlight to see by, so he made his way around the house quickly. Jiraiya chose to remain in the living room, which Sasuke was thankful for. The bedrooms were mainly untouched, since they were in the inner part of the house. His parent's and Itachi's rooms still had their furniture covered in plastic, as it had been since the massacre. His own room was dustier and would require a lot of cleaning before he could move into it again, but it wasn't impossible. The only room he avoided, as he had ever since the massacre, was the dojo where Itachi had murdered his parents. He had never been inside that room since that night and had no desire to change that now.

Once his assessment of the living area had been made, Sasuke made his way to the kitchen. It, like the living room, was littered with debris and had the one window in the room completely broken. Sasuke could see where rain had gotten inside and rotted the wooden floor closest to the window. Sasuke ignored Jiraiya, who was leaning against the kitchen sink, and went to the pantry instead. There, he found candles and cleaning supplies, both of which he'd need very soon. He took the broom out of the pantry and turned to regard his companion.

"What?" Jiraiya asked as he noticed Sasuke's stare.

"What are you still doing here?" Sasuke asked. "You've seen that the house is livable, so don't you have something to go tell the Hokage now?"

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow at Sasuke but remained quiet. The man's eyes drifted around the kitchen before finally settling on Sasuke.

"You think this place is livable?" he asked.

Sasuke's grip around the handle of the broom tightened.

"This house is an absolute mess," Jiraiya continued. "It's filthy, full of insects and other vermin, full of holes, without running water or electricity, I assume, and you think it's livable?"

The wood of the handle began to crack, and Sasuke released it before he ruined one of the few cleaning tools he possessed.

"I can clean it and get rid of the vermin," Sasuke said, his voice calm despite the anger that was welling up at Jiraiya's comments. "As far as running water or electricity, I can take care of that later when I have some kind of income." Sasuke took a deep breath and reluctantly said his next words. "Besides, I don't have any other choice but to make it livable."

"True," Jiraiya said, "but Tsunade didn't say that you had to move in here right away."

The man's attitude was grating on Sasuke's nerves. How had Naruto put up with him during their training?

"I don't know if you've noticed, Jiraiya, but I don't have anywhere else to go."

Jiraiya laughed, and Sasuke had to clench his teeth to keep from reacting.

"I can think of a few places where you can go," the man said, and it took Sasuke a moment to realize that he hadn't meant it as an insult, simply as a statement of fact.

"Oh, and where would that be?" Sasuke asked despite himself.

"You've been staying at Naruto's so far. I don't see why that can't continue," Jiraiya said.

"I was unconscious, Jiraiya," Sasuke pointed out. "It's different. Besides, I don't want to inconvenience Naruto any more."

"I doubt that it'll be an inconvenience," Jiraiya said. "If you don't want to stay with Naruto, Sakura has a spare bedroom in her house."

Sasuke didn't even bother to dignify that comment with a response. He was not going to inconvenience Sakura either.

"Judging from your lack of response, I take it that's a 'no'," Jiraiya said and Sasuke was so very tempted to throw something at the man to knock that stupid grin off of his face.

"There's also Kakashi," Jiraiya continued, ignoring Sasuke's glare. "He's got a small apartment, but I'm sure that the two of you could make it work."

"There's also the forest surrounding the training grounds," Sasuke added. "I'm sure that the trees would be very comfortable as well."

Jiriaya shrugged. "If that's your idea of a comfortable night's rest, I'm sure it'd be fine. The ANBU guarding you could sleep in the tree next to yours."

Sasuke didn't feel like dealing with Jiraiya's cryptic remarks so he took the broom and headed for the living room, hoping that the man would take the hint and leave.

Jiraiya followed him to the living room.

"You're not very hospitable, are you?"

"I asked you to leave," Sasuke replied. "I'm short on hospitality these days."

Jiraiya muttered something Sasuke didn't quite understand but could probably guess the meaning of. He passed Sasuke and paused when he got to the front door.

"Fine, if you want to be alone with your ghosts, it's your call, kid. Happy cleaning."

With that, the ninja disappeared.

Sasuke took a breath and forced his tense shoulders to relax. Now that Jiraiya was gone, the emptiness of the house began to close in on him. He'd forgotten how quiet and cold the house had been. When he'd lived in it as a kid, he'd gotten used to the complete lack of life in it. Now that he'd been away, it felt as if he was starting all over again, as if he'd just recently lost his entire family and had to get used to being alone again.

Shrugging the all too familiar feeling of loneliness off, Sasuke began to clean.

&&&&

"So, that's pretty much it," Sakura finished explaining the circumstances of Sasuke's return to her captive audience.

They had finished dinner about an hour ago but had remained around the dinner table while they'd peppered Sakura with questions and then finally gave her a chance to tell her story. Shikamaru could tell that she had left a lot of it out, especially about how they'd come up with the seals that they'd used on Sasuke. Shikamaru hadn't gotten a chance to speak with Naruto about the ordeal yet, but he could definitely see wholes in the story and wondered why Sakura was being so vague. No one else seemed to notice, or if they did, they hadn't mentioned it.

"How long are you suspended for?" Lee asked.

"I don't know," Sakura replied. "The Hokage said that it was 'until further notice', so it could be a week or a year, we don't know."

They were quiet for a moment pondering what it would mean for Sakura and Naruto not to work while they were suspended. It was Kumiko that broke the silence a few minutes later.

"So how long did it take to work out the plan," she asked.

"Um, we worked on it for about a year and a half," Sakura replied.

"You started planning your strategy after Oto attacked?" Lee asked.

Sakura nodded. "Seeing Sasuke again when Orochimaru attacked really had an effect on both of us and we decided that we had to do something."

"Wow, that's amazing loyalty to a teammate," Akira commented. "I'm glad that it worked out."

"Is Orochimaru really dead?"

Kumiko finally asked the question that had been on all of their minds since they'd walked into Sakura's house. Shikamaru sat a little straighter in his chair, as eager as the rest of them for the answer.

Sakura smiled widely, her eyes shinning with victory and relief. "Yes, he is. Sasuke is himself again."

"It's not going to be easy to be here," Lee said, "the villager's don't quickly forget wrongs done to them."

Sakura shrugged. "It is going to be hard, Lee, but it's better than being where he was. At least here, he can be himself."

"What happened to him?" Kumiko asked. "Why did he leave the village in the first place?"

Sakura's smile faded and Shikamaru had to remind himself that Kumiko came to the village after Sasuke had already left and had only heard of him through her association with Lee. Sakura's mouth opened and closed several times, as if she couldn't decide what to say, and Shikamaru decided to buy her a little time. He pushed back from the table and picked up his used dishes.

"Thanks for dinner, Sakura, but I need to leave," he said.

Sakura gave him a grateful smile and got up herself. "If I pack you some of the leftovers, can you take them over to Naruto?" she asked.

Shikamaru frowned. "What makes you think I'm going to Naruto's?" he asked.

"You're his best friend, Shikamaru. After hearing the story from me, it's natural to want to hear his version of it as well," Sakura replied, a teasing tone to her voice.

Shikamaru shrugged as he left his dishes by the sink. "Okay, you got me. I'll take him the food."

Ten minutes later after goodbyes and instructions from Sakura to tell Naruto to share the food with Sasuke, Shikamaru was on his way to Naruto's apartment. It was true that he wanted to ask Naruto about what happened in Oto, but there were other things he needed to talk to the jounin about as well. Being ANBU had is privileges, but the one Shikamaru liked the most was the almost limitless information available to him. He had heard some rumors that he was sure his friend would appreciate.

He and Naruto's relationship had evolved from just schoolmates to friends and often sparring partners. Naruto kicked his butt in flat out combat half of the time, but Naruto had yet to come up with a strategy that Shikamaru couldn't see through. Over the years, they had both learned from each other and had gotten better because of it.

Shikamaru had also learned that Naruto was genuine, easy going, and extremely loyal. That loyalty had surprised Shikamaru the first time it had manifested itself with respect to him. When he'd been a jounin and Naruto had just made chunin, they'd been sent on a rescue mission to the outskirts of Suna. The information they'd been given had been horribly flawed and had resulted in them walking straight into an ambush. Shikamaru had been badly injured and had ordered Naruto to take the little girl they'd rescued to Suna and complete the mission. Naruto had done as ordered, and Shikamaru had expected to bleed to death from the slice to the stomach he'd received from the ninja that had attacked him. Naruto had surprised Shikamaru not only by taking the little girl home, but by coming back for Shikamaru, carrying him all the way to Suna, and insisting that the Kazekage have his best medical ninja treat him. Shikamaru had seen first hand what pull Naruto had in Suna when the Kazekage had immediately ordered his best to take care of Shikamaru.

They'd remained in Suna for the two weeks it took Shikamaru to heal and it had been during those two weeks that the two had really gotten to know each other. Naruto, it turns out, was also a worrier and spent a lot of his time in Shikamaru's room. When they returned to Konoha, Shikamaru had made it a point to talk to Naruto more often and it had become a regular thing to get together once a week to drink and just hang out. Naruto was one of the few people in Konoha, despite his otherwise loud disposition, that Shikamaru could just hang around with without talking or doing anything.

Having reached Naruto's apartment building, Shikamaru stopped walking up the stairs when he had a sudden thought. Sasuke was more than likely staying with Naruto for the time being and Shikamaru didn't want to have to talk to Naruto with Sasuke in the same apartment. Shikamaru's feelings on Sasuke were probably the least volatile out of the whole village, but he couldn't deny the fact that looking at Sasuke brought back memories of the attempted invasion of Konoha. Orochimaru had worn Sasuke's face then, and Shikamaru had a feeling that no matter how much time passed, it would never be enough to get that out of his, or anyone else's, head. He had no doubt that Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi saw the same thing he did, but they'd invested so much time and effort into bringing Sasuke back that they wouldn't react to those feelings, not consciously, at least.

Sighing, Shikamaru continued up the stairs. If Sasuke was with Naruto, he'd just have to take Naruto to the nearest bar so they could talk in peace. Before he could even knock on the door, a voice from inside beckoned him.

"Come in, it's open."

Shikamaru pushed open the door to find an empty, but well lit and cluttered living room. The coffee table was pushed aside, as if someone had been in a hurry to get somewhere, and Shikamaru had a feeling there was a story behind it.

"I could be an enemy ninja coming to kill you," Shikamaru said as he walked into the small kitchen and set the food on the table. He relaxed his tense shoulders when he only felt Naruto's presence in the apartment.

"An enemy ninja wouldn't bring me Sakura's cooking," Naruto's voice floated in from the bedroom.

Shikamaru shook his head in amusement. When it came to food, Naruto's nose was second to none. He opened the refrigerator and grinned when he saw the full bottle of sake. He took it and two cups to the living room and plopped himself on the floor beside the coffee table and waited for Naruto to come out of his room. It didn't take long for Naruto to walk out in a pair of shorts and no shirt, his hair still wet from the shower he'd just taken.

"You're rather casual. Did you forget I was coming?"

Naruto grinned. "Are you kidding? I was counting on it. Except that you're a little early and I didn't have enough time to shower and change after my work day and dinner with Iruka."

Shikamaru shrugged. "The people at Sakura's were getting annoying," he said.

"Let me guess, your team and Lee's team?" Naruto said.

"How did you know?"

Naruto shrugged. "I saw Lee earlier, but I didn't get a chance to talk to him. I figured he'd go to Sakura first."

"Well, we came here first, but we didn't find you. Then they dragged me to Sakura's. She sent you food and instructed me to tell you to share it with Sasuke. She'd apparently been cooking for you two when we showed up."

Naruto sighed and settled down on the floor beside Shikamaru. He opened the sake bottle and poured them both a drink. Without waiting for Shikamaru, Naruto downed the whole drink in one gulp and then poured himself another.

"Rough day?" Shikamaru asked.

Naruto winced. "Rough week," he said.

The two friends drank in silence, until Shikamaru's curiosity got the better of him.

"So where is he?" he asked.

"Where is who?" Naruto asked, frowning.

"Sasuke."

Naruto shrugged again. "I don't know. I haven't seen him since we went our separate ways after lunch."

Shikamaru poured himself a second drink. "He shouldn't be around wondering the village alone," he said.

"The ANBU are with him," Naruto said. "Besides, Sasuke can take care of himself. I think he's earned the right to a little freedom after spending the last three years as a prisoner in his own mind."

Shikamaru did not comment. Whatever his feelings on the matter, he respected Naruto's desire and commitment to bringing back his friend. Naruto's loyalty to his friends and comrades had saved his life once and Shikamaru wasn't about to criticize it.

"I take it you've heard the story from Sakura?" Naruto asked.

Shikamaru nodded. "She wasn't there, though. She doesn't know what happened in Oto."

Naruto chuckled, but the sound contained no humor. "I don't know half of what happened either. All I remember is Orochimaru."

Naruto broke off. He took his eyes off of Shikamaru and looked down into the sake in his cup instead as if willing the liquid to give him the memories he was missing.

"What happened?" Shikamaru asked. He put down his now empty cup and looked at his friend.

It was a long while before Naruto spoke, and when he did, his voice was eerily calm and detached, as if describing something he'd heard or seen, not something he'd experienced.

"He almost had me," Naruto finally said. "That damn Sharingan has already seen how I fight and he had that going for him. He was just a fraction of a second faster than me and before I knew it he had a Chidori in my chest. It was just like the Valley of the End all over again."

Naruto drained his cup and poured another, his third, with a shaky hand. Shikamaru did the same, letting the burn of the liquid remind him where he was and what he was listening to.

"What the bastard didn't count on was that I needed him to get close enough for me to touch him so that I could perform the seal. Once I had him within my grasp, he didn't stand a chance."

"A Chidori to the chest isn't exactly a small thing," Shikamaru said. "I'm surprised you didn't drop dead from it right then and there."

Naruto chuckled again. "I would have, except the fox is very particular about keeping its host alive. He wouldn't let me die."

Shikamaru's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the same time that he felt Naruto's chakra flare. The sound of glass breaking startled Shikamaru and he looked down to find that Naruto had broken the porcelain cup he'd been holding. Blood dripped from his fingers as he clenched his hand.

"Geez, Naruto," Shikamaru said. He made a move to get up, but Naruto shook his head.

"Don't bother," he said, looking at his bleeding hand. "It'll heal in a few minutes."

Naruto finally looked at Shikamaru, and the look in his eyes showed resignation and a little fear. He held his hand out to Shikamaru.

"Look closely at the cuts; they're already closing."

Shikamaru did as instructed and gasped in surprise as the cuts quickly closed, leaving the skin unmarred. Naruto wiped his hand on his shorts and held it out to Shikamaru once again.

"All better," he said in that dead voice he'd acquired after he'd mentioned the fox.

Something suddenly clicked in Shikamaru and he glanced at his friend, who was staring at him. Naruto's cheeks were flushed from the alcohol, but his eyes were clear and full of dread. A whole lot of things about Naruto suddenly made sense, and he could almost hear the thoughts going on in Naruto's head. He was probably expecting Shikamaru to treat him like most of the villagers still treated him, but the truth was that knowing what he knew didn't change anything for Shikamaru. Now he just had to make sure Naruto understood that.

"The fourth sealed the nine-tailed fox into you."

Naruto didn't confirm or deny the statement, but it wasn't necessary. The fact that Naruto had suddenly closed himself off was ample confirmation. Now he understood why Sakura hadn't mentioned the seals they'd performed or how they'd come about them. They were probably derived from the seal used to trap the fox into Naruto.

Shikamaru downed the remainder of his drink and coughed when a bit of it went the wrong way.

"Okay, so the fox kept you alive long enough to perform the seals, then what?" Shikamaru asked.

Naruto gaped at Shikamaru. "Is that all you're going to say?" he asked.

"What else is there to say?" Shikamaru replied. "It certainly explains a lot of things about you, but it doesn't change my opinion of you."

Naruto's face showed the disbelief he was feeling, and Shikamaru gave his friend a smile. "Come on, Naruto, how long have we been friends? You don't expect something like that to change that, do you?"

Naruto released the breath he'd been holding and let out a small, nervous laugh. "I've been afraid to tell anyone because of the reaction the nine-tailed fox usually garners. I wasn't sure if you'd react the same way."

"Who knows?" Shikamaru said. "Besides the adults, because I can tell that they know by the way they treat you."

"Sakura and Sasuke know, and now you do too." Naruto replied. "It's just a small, but special, number of people."

Shikamaru smirked. "Well, I wish you'd told me sooner, but now that I know, I'm glad I do. So, are you going to tell me what else happened with Orochimaru?"

Naruto stared at Shikamaru for a moment longer, flashed a small grin, and continued his tale.

"Once he was close enough to touch, I performed the first seal, which pushed Orochimaru out of Sasuke's body and sealed it, so that Orochimaru would not be able to enter it again. When that was done, I performed the second seal, which destroyed Orochimaru's soul."

Shikamaru stared, wide-eyed, at his friend. He was speaking so casually of defeating Konoha's deadliest enemy, which was strange enough since Naruto liked to boast. Naruto had come so close to dying, fox or no fox, that it was no wonder Naruto was keeping a low profile on this one. Shikamaru could clearly see the toll the incident had taken on his friend by the shadows that now resided in his blue eyes. Naruto's body may be immune from battle scars, but his mind was not.

"You did it," Shikamaru finally said. "You and Sakura finally brought down Orochimaru." Sasuke paused for a moment as another thought struck him. "Does Sasuke remember any of this?"

"He says that he doesn't," Naruto said.

"You don't believe him?" Shikamaru asked.

Naruto didn't immediately answer. "I don't know, Shikamaru, but I'm not sure I would admit to remembering if I were him."

They lapsed into silence for a moment, and Shikamaru decided that this was as far as he wanted to take this. He suddenly remembered the other reason he'd come to see his friend and decided that this was as good a time as any to bring it up.

"I heard something you might be interested in while on my mission," Shikamaru said. "Kirigakure has been sending out small, covert teams of ninja into Land of Fire to get as close to Konoha as possible."

"Interesting," Naruto said, but he didn't seem surprised by the news. "I've heard from Tsunade that there have been reports that Kirigakure is preparing for something, but it wouldn't make sense for them to invade Land of Fire. Their hidden village is too far away, and it's hard for them to invade covertly when they have an entire ocean between our countries. We'd easily see them."

"That's true, but I also heard that they might have an ally," Shikamaru added.

Naruto frowned. "Well, that would make it easier for them, if someone already in or around Land of Fire was willing to help. They don't have many options."

"Neither Land of Grass or Land of the Waterfall, or their hidden villages, has an official treaty with Land of Fire or Konoha, so who is to say that they haven't been persuaded to aid them."

Naruto nodded. "At least we don't have to worry about Oto anymore," he said. "There is no one left there to form an alliance with anyone."

The conversation was interrupted by a sudden loud clap, like thunder. When the smoke cleared, Jiraiya was standing in front of the door staring at the two of them.

"Don't you know how to knock?" Naruto asked.

"Well pardon me," Jiraiya said with no trace of regret in his voice. He opened the door, stepped outside and knocked.

"Funny, ero-sennin," Naruto muttered. "What do you want?"

"I need your help with Sasuke," Jiraiya finally said.

"What were you doing with Sasuke?" Shikamaru asked, curious despite his better judgment.

Jiraiya walked over to them and sat down. He produced a cup from somewhere on his person and poured himself some sake. He didn't answer Shikamaru's question until he'd drained his cup.

"Tsunade decided that I should be responsible for the little punk," Jiraiya said. He grabbed the sake bottle and made as if to pour himself another drink, but cursed when he realized it was empty. "He's so much trouble already."

"What happened, Jiraiya?" Naruto asked.

Jiraiya just shook his head. "That's up to Sasuke to tell you if he wishes. For now, I need your help."

"Okay, so what do you need my help for," Naruto asked.

Jiraiya looked from Naruto to Shikamaru. "How do you feel about having Sasuke back in the village?" he asked out of the blue.

"He's here," Shikamaru replied. "What else is there to feel?"

Jiraiya continued to look at Shikamaru for a long moment, before nodding. "Good, I may need your help as well."

"Naruto, Sasuke is convinced that he can spend the night at his house."

Naruto frowned. "Isn't that what Tsunade told him to do?"

"Well, yes, but she didn't say he had to start today. The house is a complete mess," Jiraiya said and shuddered, "no one needs to spend the night there until it's been properly cleaned and sanitized."

Naruto's nose scrunched up in distaste. "Yeah, now that I think about it, the last time I went by there it was pretty bad."

"You make it a regular habit of visiting the Uchiha neighborhood?" Shikamaru asked.

"It's close by, it's empty and they have some nice training grounds. I've cleaned them up and use them from time to time," Naruto explained.

"Well then, it's settled," Jiraiya cut in. "You'll go over there and convince Sasuke to spend the night here instead."

"Easier said than done," Naruto muttered.

"Well, good luck to both of you," Jiraiya said as he stood up and headed for the door. "I'll leave the situation in your capable hands."

And with those parting words and another loud clap, he was gone.

Shikamaru stood up, picked up the now empty bottle, his cup, and the shards of the cup Naruto had broken and took them into the kitchen.

"I'm going to head home now," he said when he returned to the living room. "I'll lave Sasuke to you."

Naruto walked him to the door. "Thanks for not freaking out about the fox," he said.

Shikamaru clapped Naruto on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it," he said. "Just make sure that if there is ever anything this big again, you tell me, okay?"

"Okay," Naruto said.

With one last wave, Shikamaru left the apartment and headed home.

&&&&

Naruto grumbled his way to Sasuke's house, taking turns cursing Jiraiya's laziness and Sasuke's stubbornness. When he wasn't thinking ill of two of the most important people in his life, Naruto found himself going over the conversation he'd just had with Shikamaru. He couldn't decide whether to be angry at himself for letting the sake get to him and allow him to make that stupid slip or be relieved that Shikamaru now new his biggest secret and had taken the news in stride. He supposed that being angry would be a waste of time, because there was nothing he could do to undo what happened. Naruto smiled at Shikamaru's reaction to the news. Leave it to his friend to approach everything logically and with a level head.

When Naruto reached Sasuke's house, he was surprised to find that half of the furniture was sitting right outside the house on what had once been the main road through the Uchiha neighborhood. Naruto looked it over and grimaced at all of the dust and mold that had accumulated on it. He was doubtful that anything short of bleach would clean the couch or chairs, while the wooden furniture looked as if something had taken chunks out of it as a snack. It would do more good as firewood than as furniture.

"No wonder Jiraiya was concerned," Naruto muttered as he approached the front door. "Hey Sasuke, are you in here?"

His query was met with silence. He poked his head inside and saw the dim glow of candlelight not too far from where he was standing. He followed the light until he found himself in the empty living room. He looked around and shuddered. This was the first time Naruto had actually been inside the house and he found it cold and unwelcoming. There was an aura of tragedy and unfinished business around it that was so thick he could almost touch it. It was as if the house itself knew that what had taken place inside it was wrong and wished for revenge on the family's behalf.

Naruto walked deeper into the house and poked his head into the kitchen, which was just as empty and cold as the living room. He could see the stairs that led to the other part of the house, but he was not going to venture any further.

"Sasuke?"

Again, there was no response. Naruto cast out his senses and found no trace of Sasuke's chakra in the house, but he did pick up a trace of it somewhere in the Uchiha neighborhood. Naruto gave the cold and uninviting house one last look before making his way outside to find Sasuke.

He followed the trace of Sasuke's chakra to a part of the neighborhood Naruto had never been to before, and as soon as he saw the temple looming in front of him in the moonlight, it dawned on him where Sasuke had gone. Sure enough, Naruto found the Uchiha family graveyard behind the temple. It was a substantial plot of land and Naruto wondered if the place had always been this big or if it had to be expanded when Itachi had killed everyone at once. This place, just like the house, had an oppressive, almost suffocating, atmosphere about it. Naruto shivered slightly as he reached the entrance and debated with himself whether he had any right to go into the cemetery at all. He could wait for Sasuke to leave the cemetery, but Naruto didn't think that he'd be able to stand out here by himself for however long it would take Sasuke to finish his business. No, if he had to be in this place, he was going to do it with company.

Naruto took a deep breath, expelled it, and quickly made his way into the maze of graves in search of his friend. The breeze had started to blow a little harder since he'd entered and Naruto had to remind himself that the shadows he saw were simply the trees, and not restless ghosts crying out for revenge.

He'd been walking for about five minutes when a soft voice carried to him. The words were not yet decipherable, but the soft, almost regretful tone, pulled a string in Naruto's heart that made his eyes water. He slowed his pace a bit and his keen ears continued to hear the voice, until the words were as clear as if he was standing next to the person speaking them.

"I can never atone for what I have done," Sasuke said, his voice as raw and honest as Naruto had ever heard it. "I have disgraced myself, my family, my clan, and betrayed the village that my clan had sworn its allegiance to. For that, there is no forgiveness, nor do I seek any. I simply came to tell you that I will spend the remainder of my life making things right for the people that are still within my reach."

Naruto stopped dead in his tracks and felt warmth in his heart at the simple, but heartfelt, statement. He wondered why the words were so clear, until he realized that he was standing very close to where Sasuke knelt between two graves. Sasuke had set a candle in front of him, and the light danced on his features, making him look both vulnerable and deadly at the same time.

"Mother, Father, my wrongs to you can never be forgiven, and I will wait for my judgment when I join you in the afterlife," Sasuke said.

Sasuke bowed low so that his head was almost touching the ground and remained in that position for a while. Naruto's guilt for intruding on this very personal moment for Sasuke finally got the better of him and he began to slowly back away. Sasuke raised his head and turned to fix Naruto with a calm stare.

"You don't have to leave," Sasuke told Naruto. "Come closer, if you'd like."

Naruto shouldn't have been surprised at having been discovered. After all, Sasuke's senses had always been sharp and had to have gotten sharper during his stay with Orochimaru. Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat, but did as Sasuke suggested. When he got to Sasuke's side, he kneeled next to his friend.

"How long has it been since you've been here?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke didn't immediately reply. Instead, he put his hands together, closed his eyes, and said a small prayer. Naruto did the same, and when he was finished, found Sasuke's eyes on him.

"I haven't been here since they day they were buried," Sasuke replied. "I didn't see a need to come."

"Then why did you come now?" Naruto asked, and then felt bad about having asked.

"It was a regret I had when I thought I was never going to be able to come back here. Now that I'm here, I wanted to properly say goodbye," Sasuke said. He got to his feet and once again bowed to the graves of his parents, and then led the way out of the graveyard.

Naruto waited until they were well away from the graveyard before he spoke.

"When we fought at the Valley of the End, you said that I shouldn't assume that I knew how you felt, because I would never know what it was like to have everyone I loved taken away from me. Do you remember that?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke's eyes took on a faraway look for a moment, and Naruto could see his friend's jaw clench.

"I remember," Sasuke finally said and looked straight ahead.

Naruto paused for a moment to formulate what he wanted to say. This long buried memory had popped into his mind as he'd knelt in front of Sasuke's parent's grave and he now wasn't sure if he should have brought it up at all.

"I was so sure then that I understood you, that we were alike because we were both alone," Naruto finally said.

"And now?" Sasuke asked when Naruto didn't immediately say anything else.

"Now I know that I was wrong," Naruto replied. "I was always alone, from the day I was born, with only the Sandaime to check in on me every now and then. I will never know what it's like to have a mother, a father, aunts, or uncles. My loneliness could never compare to having all of that and then having it taken away from me."

They continued in silence, both lost in their own thoughts, until they reached Sasuke's house.

"I'm sorry for assuming that I could understand your pain, because I didn't, and I will never be able to," Naruto added.

Sasuke turned to Naruto and pierced him with his eyes. "You're fortunate," Sasuke said. "It's better to have always been alone than to have it forced upon you."

Sasuke turned away, and Naruto knew that they had reached the end of the conversation.

"You're not planning on living out here, are you?" Naruto asked, attempting to lighten the mood a little bit.

Sasuke shook his head. "The furniture needed to be aired out. I'll drag it back inside tomorrow."

"You're going to keep using this stuff? It's seen better days."

"In case you haven't noticed, everything I own is in this house. Until I get a job and make some money, I'm going to have to make do," Sasuke said.

The bitterness and anger in Sasuke's voice sounded strange to Naruto, and he couldn't figure out whether those emotions were directed at himself or at Naruto.

"What about your inheritance? Since you're the last Uchiha, shouldn't everything have gone to you?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke gave him a dark look. "I'm a traitor, Naruto. I barely escaped execution, and I'm still waiting for Morino Ibiki to come knocking on my door and demand my 'cooperation' while he questions me. Do you really think they'd be keeping everything safe until I came back?"

Naruto had to clench his teeth in order to smother the immediate, and rather scalding, reply that came to mind. He reminded himself that Sasuke was still adjusting and that anger was the one emotion he always hid behind, while fighting the urge to remind Sasuke that he'd brought all of this upon himself by leaving in the first place.

"The land is still here," Naruto finally said.

"That's because no one wants it," Sasuke replied.

The anger had left his voice and was now replaced by resignation. Sasuke sat on the chair he'd been standing next to and started coughing when he became surrounded by dust.

"Everyone thinks this place is haunted anyway, they wouldn't want it."

Naruto sighed. In a way, Sasuke was no different than he had been when he left. He was still easy to irritate and even easier to anger. In another way, the Sasuke sitting in front of him was so different that he was almost a stranger. Six years was a long time to be apart, and they'd both matured under very different environments. Could their small, fragile bond survive the pressures of getting to know one another once again, or would it be broken for good this time?

"You can't stay here," Naruto said, startling both of them out of their thoughts.

"Hokage's orders," was all Sasuke said.

Naruto frowned. Since when was Sasuke so hell bent on following every rule, ever order? He'd been more than willing to break them when he'd been younger, so why not now? The intensity in Sasuke's face and the rigidity of his body, however, made Naruto realize something. Where Sasuke came from, disobeying meant, if not death, then a very painful punishment. Obedience had been beaten, or worse, into him, and that thought made Naruto want to kill Orochimaru all over again.

"She didn't say that you had to start living here tonight. Come home with me, and I'll come back with you tomorrow and help you straighten this place out so you can move in," Naruto offered.

Sasuke didn't immediately reply, and Naruto could see the battle going on in his mind as he decided whether or not he could do as Naruto proposed. Sasuke had to know that the house was in no condition to be moved into right now, and staying somewhere else until it was made sense. Unless…

"If you don't want to stay with me, you can stay with Sakura," Naruto added as it dawned on him that Sasuke might be hesitating because he didn't want to stay with Naruto. "She's got a house with a couple of extra rooms that will give you some more privacy than my apartment will."

Sasuke looked up at Naruto. "No, it's not that, I just don't…"

Whatever Sasuke was about to say was cut off with a shake of the head. Sasuke closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then released it. When he opened them, Naruto could see that he'd come to a decision.

"I accept your offer, Naruto," Sasuke said formally. "Thank you."

Naruto stared at his friend, wondering if he'd missed something. When had Sasuke ever been polite to him? Even more important than that, hadn't Sasuke been angry just a few minutes ago? Sasuke tended to hold on to his anger for quite a while, so it caught Naruto off guard to suddenly not see it anymore.

"You're welcome," Naruto said. "Come on, let's go."

"Wait, I need to get some clothes," Sasuke said.

"Your old clothes still fit you?" Naruto asked.

"No, but I found several boxes with my father's clothing. I'll wear those until I can purchase something else."

As Sasuke went inside the house to gather what he needed, Naruto realized that the clothes Sasuke wore to the meeting earlier that day had been his father's as well. They'd been loose on Sasuke, which now made sense. It was kind of creepy, considering that Sasuke's father was dead, but he also saw the logic in it. If there was a resource available, Sasuke might as well use it.

When Sasuke returned he was carrying a small bag. He and Naruto both took one more look at the empty house before making their way to Naruto's apartment. When they got to the apartment, Naruto immediately went into the kitchen.

"I heard your stomach growling on the way over here so I'm going to assume that you haven't eaten," Naruto called to Sasuke. "Shikamaru dropped off some food Sakura made for us, so I'm going to heat it up. You know your way around the apartment already, so make yourself at home."

Naruto heard Sasuke enter the bathroom and was glad to have something to do to keep himself occupied. Yesterday, when he'd first been able to talk to Sasuke, things seemed fine. Today, they seemed awkward and uncomfortable, as if neither knew how to act around the other. How time had changed them both.

By the time Sasuke left the bathroom, changed into a pair of sweats that had to be rolled up at the ankles so they wouldn't drag the ground, Naruto had the food laid out at the table.

"This smells delicious," Sasuke said as he took his seat and got some food on his plate. "I didn't know Sakura could cook."

"She's taken a liking to it," Naruto said as he took his own serving.

They ate in silence for a moment, until Sasuke spoke again.

"So, did Sakura ever…" Sasuke trailed off, but the guilt that flittered through his eyes as he said it filled in the blanks nicely for Naruto:

_So, did Sakura ever get over me?_

The old jealousy that Naruto had thought he'd buried when he was thirteen momentarily surfaced, reminding him that Sakura had chosen Sasuke over Naruto, even after Sasuke defected. He shook it off, reminding himself that he'd come to terms with his feelings for Sakura long ago, and that they were just friends now.

"It was hard for her to accept the fact that you chose revenge over what we had here, and over her, but she got over it."

His words were harsher than he'd intended, but they were true and it was too late to take them back now. Sasuke responded by setting his chopsticks down beside his plate and clasping his hands together.

"I took what I thought was the best course of action at the time. I don't owe you, or anyone else, an explanation."

Naruto put down his own chopsticks and pushed his plate away. "I'm not asking you to give me one," he said. "I'm just telling you that your actions had consequences for us too."

Sasuke looked away from Naruto and his hands clenched and unclenched on the table.

"Do you regret leaving?" Naruto asked. When Sasuke didn't reply, he spoke again. "Was it worth it, Sasuke?"

Sasuke turned back towards Naruto, and if looks could kill, Naruto would have dropped dead on the spot.

"This conversation is finished," Sasuke said.

He took his dishes to the sink and washed them, as Naruto stared at his back. When Sasuke had finished, he turned back to Naruto.

"Where will I be sleeping?" he asked in a voice that clearly said he was not in the mood for further conversation.

Naruto got up from the table, leaving his dishes where they were.

"The couch turns into a bed, so you can sleep there."

Without another word, Naruto went into his bedroom and slammed the door behind him. It was going to be a long night.

&&&&

He walked on what used to be the main road through a bustling hidden village as if in a trance. Every now and then, when he came upon the dead body of a former follower, he would stop, bend down, and confirm that the man or woman was, indeed, dead. A lot of the time he didn't even have to stop, because there wasn't enough of the body left for there to be the possibility of life.

It was marginally better out here than it had been in the main compound, which he'd just left. The close confines of the underground dwelling made the stench of death and decay ten times more noticeable. The fact that there were a lot more dead bodies in there didn't help, either. Everyone had rushed inside to protect their leader when their defenses had been breached, but that had just given the invader a chance to kill everyone at once.

The young man clenched his hands at the thought that one man, one boy, really, was responsible for the carnage he was seeing. He, himself had survived only by sheer luck. The possessed teenager that had invaded the village had encountered him first, but had been in such a hurry to reach the leader of the village that he'd left before making sure that his opponent was really dead. By the time the young man had healed himself enough and was able to descend towards his leader's room, everything had been over, and his leader had been taken.

The gray haired young man stood up from the latest lump of dead flesh he'd been examining and ran his hands down his bloodied and rumpled clothing. He had only one mission now: he had to find his kidnapped leader and bring him back to where he belonged.

The young man grinned as he resumed his walk towards the gates that led out of the village. Fortunately for him, he knew exactly where his leader had been taken.

&&&&

There you have it. Stay tuned for the next installment.


	6. Reflections

Greetings! I'm a little behind on my estimated delivery date, but I'll blame work for that. I finally got some time this week to polish this thing, though I still don't think it's enough. Enjoy!

Posted: 2/22/07

&&&&

**Chapter 6: Reflections**

_The world around him was familiar and comforting, and provided Sasuke with the only place in his mind that was truly his own. He'd made this world resemble one of the few places in Konoha he'd felt comfortable: the training ground where he and the rest of Team 7 had undergone Kakashi's bell exercise. Sasuke sat on top of the log that Naruto had ended up being tied to during the exercise and let the breeze ruffle his hair and the sound of the swaying trees distract him from what he knew was going on outside of his body._

_Oto's ninja were currently invading a neighboring village, because their leader had done something Orochimaru found despicable enough to deal with personally. Sasuke had made his way to the surface of Orochimaru's mind for a moment out of sheer curiosity and, when he'd found himself looking through Sharingan eyes as people ran for their lives only to be cut down by Orochimaru, he wished that he hadn't. The sannin's swift steps indicated that he had a specific destination in mind, but he was not wasting the opportunity to kill that the terrified villagers provided him with. The pleasure and absolute glee that coursed through the body as Orochimaru killed appalled Sasuke and had driven him back to the safety and isolation of his own place. _

_It had taken several moments before he could tune out the screams of the villagers that still reached him, and when that had been accomplished, Sasuke found himself thinking, not for the first time, about the decision that had led him to his current situation. _

"_What have I done?" he asked himself out loud. "How could I have chosen this for myself?"_

_It was easy now, after the fact, to see where he'd gone wrong. Sasuke could think back and almost pinpoint the exact moment where he'd made the choice to follow this path. The choice hadn't been particularly hard to make, because it had seemed like the only path he could take at the time. Then again, back then, he'd only had one thing on his mind, a thing that made everything else in his life pale in comparison. Every sacrifice he'd made and every person he'd hurt for the purpose of accomplishing his goal had been an accepted casualty of his war with Itachi, even when the sacrifice had been his own body. He'd given up everything for the chance to kill his brother, but in the end, even that had been taken from him. _

_His regrets were many, but at the end of the day, they were just an emotion that he wasted precious energy on whenever he felt nostalgic. He couldn't undo the choices he'd made any more than he could take control of his body and go back home. Konoha was forever lost to him, which is why his sanctuary always looked like a place in his home village. He could at least make sure that those few, special places in Konoha would never fade away from his memories. _

_The screams that had followed Sasuke when he'd left Orochimaru's conscious mind had finally faded and Sasuke couldn't hear anything of what was going on in the outside world. That was probably a good thing, unless he wanted to add more memories of people screaming and begging for mercy to the amount he already had. Orochimaru's emotions, which tended to leak even into this place, were strangely quiet, which piqued Sasuke's attention more than the lack of screams. Orochimaru did not know the meaning of moderation, so everything he felt was strong and reached Sasuke no matter how deep in his mind he tried to hide. The handful of times Sasuke had not felt Orochimaru's emotions had ended badly. _

_Sasuke made his way out of his sanctuary and into Orochimaru's conscious mind once again. With a bit of extra energy, and Orochimaru's permission, Sasuke was able to see what Orochimaru was seeing. The fact that Orochimaru had granted him permission at all should have worried Sasuke, but he was too curious to think further about it. At first, all Sasuke saw was darkness, until a lamp was lit somewhere in front of him. The new illumination brought Sasuke face to face with an older man sitting up in bed holding the lamp. The man's eyes were wide and his face was frozen in fear. _

"_I told you what the price of betrayal would be, did I not?" Orochimaru asked. When the man didn't respond, Orochimaru continued. "Sheltering Konoha ninja, especially that blonde nuisance, was a violation of our agreement."_

Naruto was in this village?_ Sasuke thought. _That's why Orochimaru allowed me to see this.

_After the thought had left him, and Orochimaru had responded to it with a mental chuckle, Sasuke reminded himself to shield his thoughts, as he'd learned to do over the past year, so that Orochimaru couldn't hear them. _

_Thoughts safely shielded, Sasuke pondered the implication of Naruto's appearance in the village. What had the blond idiot been doing this close to Otogakure? There was nothing for him in this country, unless… _

Unless he's still looking for me.

_The thought momentarily flared the small spark of hope Sasuke still harbored, until the realization that if Naruto knew that Orochimaru had taken over Sasuke's body he wouldn't still be looking._

"_What was he doing here?" Orochimaru asked. "Was he alone or did he bring company?"_

_The man, apparently realizing that lying would only cause him more pain, decided to talk. _

"_There was only one ninja, the blonde you mentioned. He said he was looking for someone."_

"_Who was he looking for?" Orochimaru asked, even though Sasuke was sure the snake already knew the answer. _

"_The boy showed me a picture of a Konoha ninja, Orochimaru-sama," the man said, his voice reflecting the man's rising fear. "He said that the ninja he was looking for was named Uchiha Sasuke."_

"_How long ago did this happen?" Orochimaru asked in a way that made Sasuke think he was doing it so that Sasuke himself could hear the answer, because Orochimaru already knew what it was. _

_The man thought for a moment. "I would say it was about two months ago," he finally said. _

_Sasuke's shock manifested itself in the dropping of his shields, which allowed Orochimaru to feel the response and send his own smug satisfaction back to Sasuke. Sasuke gathered himself once again and not until his shields were back in place did he allow himself to think of the implications of the man's response. _

_Naruto had been here, looking for him, two months ago. Orochimaru had taken Sasuke's body a little over a year ago and Sasuke refused to believe that Konoha was so uninformed that Tsunade-sama wouldn't have found out about it. Naruto had to know, and yet was still looking for Sasuke._

"_Uchiha Sasuke has been dead for a long time," Orochimaru said. "Uzumaki Naruto will accept that eventually. Why did you shelter him?" Orochimaru asked. _

_The man swallowed hard as he set the lamp on a bedside table. "He was injured and he didn't seem like a threat. I meant no disrespect to you, Orochimaru-sama. I didn't know that he was your enemy. If I had, I would have held him until you could deal with him."_

"_All Konoha ninja are my enemy, Takeshi, you should already know that."_

_Before Sasuke realized what had happened, the man's head had been separated from his body and Orochimaru was using the bed covers to clean the blood off of his sword. The Sharingan deactivated, and when Orochimaru raised his head, Sasuke found himself looking at his reflection in a mirror hanging on the wall beside him. His shoulder length hair was disheveled and strands of it clung to his cheeks and neck. His pale face had spots of blood on it, but Sasuke knew that none of it was his own. The mirror also showed that his clothing was similarly stained with blood. When Sasuke's attention returned to the face, Orochimaru was grinning. _

"_What do you think, Sasuke?" Orochimaru asked as he licked the blood off their face. "I think the blood suits you very well."_

&&

Sasuke sat up in bed and couldn't immediately place his surroundings. He panicked, threw the sweat-dampened sheets off of him, and got to his feet. Light from a window caught his attention and the moonlight filtering into the room helped him identify his surroundings as Naruto's living room. Sasuke took slow and deep breaths to calm his racing heart as beads of sweet slid down his neck and chest.

When the panic receded, Sasuke made his way to the small bathroom. He turned on the light and had to blink several times until his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. When he was able to see again, he came face to face with his reflection in the mirror above the sink. For a moment, the image from the nightmare superimposed itself over the current reflection, and Sasuke recoiled until his back hit the wall behind him. The image quickly faded, leaving Sasuke with a reflection that didn't make him feel any better.

Sometime during the night, his hair had come out of the hair tie, leaving it unbound and messy, with strands sticking to his bare back and shoulders. There were dark circles under his eyes, which stood out starkly on his pale face. Sasuke's gaze traveled to his chest and the countless scars that a life as a ninja had brought him, before it rested on the seal that Naruto had placed on him. Sasuke ran his fingers over it, amazed at the complexity of it. It didn't hurt and he couldn't remember getting it, but he could still feel a small trace of the chakra Naruto had used to place it. Sasuke's eyes left the seal and traveled to another seal, the one that represented his contract with Orochimaru's snakes.

This seal had been placed on him a year after he'd joined Orochimaru, and Sasuke could still remember that day clearly. He hadn't known it was going to happen, nor had Orochimaru asked for his permission to do it. One morning, Kabuto and Orochimaru had dragged him from his room and taken him deeper underground. He'd been restrained by Kabuto while Orochimaru placed the seal on his right bicep.

Sasuke flexed the muscle and touched the snake that had been burned into his skin. Unlike Naruto's seal, this one hurt when he touched it, and unlike the curse seal that had disappeared when Orochimaru had taken his body, Sasuke would carry this seal until the day he died. Sasuke looked at his face in the mirror once more and wondered who the beaten down stranger with the dull eyes and gaunt face staring back at him was.

Anger rushed through him as he looked at what he had become. His right hand balled into a fist and he had every intention of smashing the mirror into pieces, but stopped centimeters from hitting the surface when he remembered that this was Naruto's apartment and he had no right to destroy any part of it.

Sasuke tore his eyes away from the reflection and washed the sweat off his face. When he finished, he stepped into the small hallway that connected the bathroom to Naruto's bedroom. Before he had a chance to head back to the living room, he felt a flare of chakra. The chakra was unmistakably Naruto's, and Sasuke's guard immediately went up. If the blonde's chakra was fluctuating, there had to be a reason for it. Sasuke felt the surroundings for other chakra but felt only Naruto's.

"Help me. Please, Sasuke, help me."

The desperate plea cut through Sasuke like a knife, and he abandoned his previous intent of going back to the living room and headed for Naruto's bedroom instead. He opened the door, glad that it wasn't locked, and walked into the darkness of Naruto's bedroom expecting the worst. Enough light streamed into the room from the open window to allow Sasuke to see that Naruto was in bed, caught in the throes of a nightmare. Naruto had thrown the most of the bed covers onto the floor and was covered in only a sheet that he clung to as if his life depended on it.

"I know you're in there," Naruto said, and his face showed the desperation that his voice conveyed. "Fight Orochimaru, Sasuke. Give me a chance, just one chance, to free you."

Sasuke froze when he realized what Naruto was dreaming about. The blonde must have regained his memories of the battle with Orochimaru, while Sasuke still lacked his own. Curious and concerned for his friend's state of mind, Sasuke got closer to the bed until he was within touching distance of the troubled teenager on the bed.

"Damn it, Sasuke, fight him. Don't let me down again."

A piece of Sasuke's heart cracked at the disappointment in Naruto's voice, but he had no one to blame for that but himself. He had let Naruto and Sakura down time after time, culminating with his betrayal of everything they'd offered him, and there was nothing that he could ever do that would make up for that.

Naruto suddenly screamed and clutched at his chest in the exact same spot where Sasuke himself had driven a Chidori through. Had Naruto's dream shifted so that he was now remembering the fight at the Valley of the End, or… Sasuke's eyes widened as a thought struck him. Had Orochimaru hurt Naruto with a Chidori in the exact same spot? Of course the snake would know about the Valley of the End, since he had all of Sasuke's memories. The snake would have been only too happy to remind Naruto of that fight in the worst way imaginable.

Naruto screamed again and Sasuke couldn't just stand by and watch any longer. He took the hand that Naruto had on his chest in one of his own and used the other to shake the blonde.

"Wake up, Naruto," Sasuke commanded, "it's over, and you're okay. Orochimaru is dead."

Naruto's eyes immediately shot open, wild and unfocused. When they landed on Sasuke, the confusion that had been in the blue depths was immediately replaced by sheer terror.

"NO!" Naruto shouted and pushed Sasuke away.

Sasuke, who had been leaning awkwardly over the bed, was caught off guard and the push sent him sprawling backwards. His foot got caught on one of the discarded covers and he fell. His back hit something as he landed, and his fall was accompanied by the sound of glass breaking. The sound, however, was nothing compared to the sound of his heart breaking as he looked into Naruto's terrified eyes. Sasuke looked away from Naruto and remained motionless on the floor while Naruto pulled himself together. He inclined his head slightly so that his hair fell to cover his face.

When Naruto finally spoke, his voice was hesitant. "Sasuke, is that you?"

Sasuke got to his feet and turned on the light. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come in," he said.

He refused to meet Naruto's eyes again and instead let his gaze drop to the ground. It was then that he noticed what had broken during his fall. He kneeled and picked up the framed photograph of Team 7. The glass had broken in three places and one of the pieces had cut into the picture, carving a thin, white line over the Sasuke in the photograph. Sasuke got up and placed the frame face down on the dresser.

"You'll need a new frame," was all Sasuke said.

Awkward silence fell over them while Naruto got out of bed and picked up the discarded covers.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," Naruto said, "I didn't know it was you. I thought…"

Naruto trailed off, but Sasuke was only too happy to finish the sentence. "You thought I was Orochimaru."

Naruto didn't reply, but he didn't have to.

"It's okay," Sasuke said. "I was Orochimaru."

"You're not anymore," Naruto countered. "That time has passed and it doesn't matter anymore."

This time Sasuke did meet Naruto's eyes. "It does matter, Naruto, you've just made that abundantly clear."

Sasuke left the room, got dressed, and picked up his bag. He had made it to the front door when Naruto came out of his bedroom.

"Wait, Sasuke, you can't leave," Naruto said. "Let's not leave this like it is."

Sasuke's instinct to run was so strong that he momentarily considered breaking the Hokage's rule and teleporting out of the apartment. The only thing that stopped him was the knowledge that he was already on precarious ground with the Hokage and he couldn't afford to make it worse.

"There is nothing to say, Naruto. The situation is what it is and I made it this way, no one else. "

Sasuke let himself out of the apartment and into the cool night. He wanted to ignore the ache in his chest and the stinging in his eyes, but found that the sensations intensified with ever step he took away from Naruto's apartment.

When he felt dampness on his cheeks, he wondered if it had started to rain.

&&&&

Dawn found Naruto sitting at the small table in his kitchen, staring at the photograph of Team 7. He'd thrown away the broken pieces of glass, but the damage had already been done. He fingered the white line that had been carved into the Sasuke in the photo and resisted the urge to scream in frustration. The photograph reminded him too much of the forehead protector sitting on his dresser with a similar line carved through it, a line that Naruto himself had put there.

He had not been able to return to sleep after Sasuke left, and it hadn't been just because of the nightmare Sasuke had pulled him out of. Naruto hadn't been able to get the hurt in Sasuke's eyes as he'd walked out of the bedroom out of his mind. Sasuke, being the emotionally distant bastard that he was, had kept a perfectly blank face, but his eyes didn't lie. Naruto's instinctive reaction as he'd woken up had deeply wounded his friend, and for that, Naruto felt incredibly guilty. Not only that, but he'd told Sasuke earlier in the day that he should not be held accountable for Orochimaru's deeds and that no matter how the villager's reacted, Sasuke had at least three people that believed in him. Even if it had been while pulling himself out of a disturbing memory, Naruto had reacted no differently than any of the villagers they'd come across.

Naruto finally let out that scream of frustration he'd been fighting for the past four hours and banged his head against the table several times, hoping that the pain would bring clarity to his mind. When it didn't, Naruto got up and paced. He wasn't afraid of Sasuke. He didn't believe that Sasuke would hurt him. That nightmare, the memory of his final battle with Orochimaru, terrified him, and when he'd seen Sasuke so close, he'd been unable to tell nightmare from reality. By the time he'd done so, it had been too late. Sasuke, of course, had reacted exactly like he usually did and had immediately closed himself off, and Naruto knew that no amount of apologizing would take back what had occurred. He'd let Sasuke go, because making him stay would have just made things worse.

Deciding that being busy was the best solution to his troubled mind, Naruto got dressed. He didn't put on his uniform, since he was still suspended, but he did dress appropriately for the place he was going to visit. When he was finished getting dressed he teleported to the Hokage tower. He could have walked to the tower, but walking would just give him more time to think, and thinking was not something he wanted to do. It was still early, but he knew that Tsunade, despite her lazy attitude, liked to start her work day early. This was the best time to speak to her, before the duties of her position merited her full attention.

He let himself into Tsunade's office as he always did, without knocking or announcing himself. She would have sensed him anyway, so he saw no point in the pleasantries. Naruto found the Hokage standing by the window holding a steaming cup of tea. She did not turn to face him as he sat on one of the chairs in front of her desk.

"What do you want, Naruto?" she asked.

"I want to work," he answered.

The Hokage turned to face him.

"You should have through of that before you left the village to look for an S-class criminal with two forbidden techniques in your arsenal."

Naruto did not argue with her statement, because she was right. "There's got to be something I can do," he said instead.

Tsunade sighed and settled into her chair. She took a sip of her tea and watched Naruto over the rim of the cup. Naruto had to fight the urge to fidget under the scrutiny.

"The whole point of you being suspended is that you don't get to do what you want to do," Tsunade said.

Naruto shook his head at her misunderstanding. "I'm not asking to be reinstated as a ninja, Tsunade, all I want is something to do."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "Why are you here, then?" The only thing I can do for you is reinstate you, and you haven't earned that yet."

Naruto wasn't paying attention to Tsunade anymore as he got an idea.

"Since I'm not currently working for you, there's nothing that says I can't work for one of the civilian merchants, is there?" Naruto asked.

Tsunade did not immediately reply. When she did, there was a note of disbelief in her voice. "Naruto, I would have thought that you'd made more than enough money over the past six years to have enough saved up for emergencies. Do you need money that badly that you'd work for a civilian?"

Naruto looked up at his friend, confused, until he realized what she was saying. "I don't need the money, I just want something to do," he told her.

Tsunade's eyes bore into his and Naruto couldn't keep from fidgeting this time. He hated when she looked at him the way she was looking at him now, because it always made him feel like she could see all the way into his soul.

"Sasuke, huh?" was all she said.

Naruto managed to keep the grimace off his face. "What makes you say that?" he asked.

"I've known you long enough, Naruto, and the only times you've looked this disturbed and troubled all had to do with Sasuke."

Naruto sighed. Damn her for knowing him so well and damn him for being so easy to read. "We're adjusting, that's all," he said and the reply sounded lame even to him.

"Right, so that's why you look like you haven't slept much, or is that just the nightmares keeping you awake?"

He was tempted to argue with her, to insist that everything was fine, but that would just confirm her suspicions.

"I have a lot to sort out," Naruto finally answered. "Too much happened in too short a time, and my mind is still trying to work it all out."

"Talking about it might help, Naruto," Tsunade said. "I'm offering as a friend, not as your boss."

"Thanks, Tsunade, but this is something I have to work out for myself."

They fell into companionable silence until Tsunade broke it. "There is a carpenter that just opened up shop close to where you live," Tsunade said. "He came from Earth country and doesn't know many people here. You night want to pay him a visit."

The confusion Naruto felt at the sudden change of subject must have shown on his face, because Tsunade explained further. "He's looking for help."

Naruto grinned, and Tsunade smiled back.

"Just don't tell anyone that I sent you to him. I'm supposed to be punishing you."

"I won't," Naruto said as he jumped to his feet, energized now that he had something to do. "Thanks, Tsunade-baa-chan."

"You could address me by my title, brat," Tsunade said.

Naruto's grin widened. "I could, but that wouldn't be any fun. Bye!"

With that, he left her office and made his way to what hopefully would turn out to be a lot of work.

&&&&

Kakashi stood in front of the memorial stone, as he always did at this time of the morning. He liked to come at this time because very few people came this early, and Kakashi liked reminiscing in solitude. Though he usually reserved this time to think about his past, this particular morning Kakashi was thinking about his present; namely, a former student that had been dragged back home by two other former students.

Kakashi shook his head as he thought of those two. How desperate must they have been to attempt such a stunt on their own? If they had come to him for help, would Kakashi have helped them or marched them straight to the Hokage for punishment? Should he congratulate them on their success or berate them for all of the laws they'd broken?

He idly wondered what his teacher would have done if he'd been in a similar situation, if Obito or Rin, or even Kakashi himself, had decided to leave the village in search of power. Kakashi couldn't help a small smile at the thought: his teacher would have gone after the person himself, brought him or her back kicking and screaming, and then would have locked them in a room for a long while to ponder their foolishness. Kakashi's smile disappeared as guilt slowly worked its way to the surface. Should he have gone after Sasuke himself? Should he have been more of a help to Naruto and Sakura? Kakashi sighed. Thinking about the past was so much easier because all of the decisions, for better or worse, had already been made.

A flash of white to Kakashi's right drew the man's attention. He didn't turn his head, but he could see out of the corner of his eye that he had company. The man's chakra was familiar, and slightly agitated, but Kakashi decided that there was no use in cutting short his ritual simply because a legendary ninja had decided to pay him a visit. If what Jiraiya had come to tell him was important enough, the man would wait.

Thirty minutes later, apparently having gotten tired of waiting, Jiraiya came to stand beside Kakashi. The jounin spared the sannin a glance, and before he could look away, Jiraiya spoke.

"Do you ever wonder about the roads not taken, Kakashi?" Jiraiya asked.

"Why would you want to?" Kakashi retorted. "You can't go back and change anything."

Jiraiya walked closer to the monument and ran his fingers over the name Kakashi had been staring at minutes before.

"I sometimes wonder whether I would have made a difference had I been here the day the nine-tailed fox attacked the village," Jiraiya finally said. "If I'd been here, then maybe I wouldn't have to come here to talk to my student."

Kakashi still remembered the last moments of his teacher's life and wondered if Jiraiya would have made a difference. Would the sannin have tried to talk the Yondaime out of sacrificing himself? Would Jiraiya have offered another alternative?

"We can lose ourselves in the possibilities, Jiraiya, which is why it's best not to dwell on what could have been."

Jiraiya turned to Kakashi. "You were always a realist, weren't you Kakashi? It makes me wonder why you're here, if not to wonder about what you could have done differently for the people you cared about."

"It's unlike you to sound nostalgic, Jiraiya," Kakashi said. "What brought this on?"

Kakashi's flippant comment was meant to distract the sannin from whatever was eating at his conscience. It had the opposite effect, however, because Jiraiya's face darkened.

"I've sat outside of Naruto's bedroom window for the past few nights," Jiraiya said after a tense silence, "and have heard just how much this experience has affected him. I thought that maybe having Sasuke stay with him would help, but it just made things worse for both of them."

Jiraiya trailed off and the guilt in the man's eyes was hard to miss. Kakashi's eye widened when he finally processed what Jiraiya had said.

"I thought Sasuke was living at home," Kakashi said. "When did he go stay with Naruto?"

"Just last night," Jiraiya said, but did not bother to elaborate further.

The man's eyes suddenly lost their focus. Wherever Jiraiya was, it certainly wasn't with Kakashi in front of the memorial stone anymore. Kakashi returned his gaze to the stone, and his teacher's name, and wondered, once again, whether he should have been more involved in his student's lives, like his teacher had been with Kakashi.

"If we'd done something about Orochimaru when we had the chance then two teenaged boys wouldn't currently be tearing themselves apart just to survive another day."

Kakashi had a feeling that Jiraiya was talking about his own past, so he remained quiet until the man was ready to continue the conversation. After a moment, the older ninja shook his head slightly, as if pushing away old ghosts, and looked at Kakashi once again.

"I ran into Sasuke yesterday," Jiraiya said. "A group of ninja had cornered him and one of them had a kunai to his throat."

Kakashi wasn't entirely surprised at the news, but that didn't keep him from having to clench his jaw in anger.

"Who were they? As ninja, they should know better than to do something like that," Kakashi said.

He also realized, however, that ninja would be the ones to react the strongest, because they had lost the most when Oto had invaded Konoha. They weren't likely to forget anytime soon, or let Sasuke forget it either.

"I don't know," Jiraiya said. "I didn't recognize any of them."

Kakashi clenched his jaw and was glad for the mask that hid his features. "What did Sasuke do?"

"Nothing," Jiraiya said. "He could have taken all five of them out of commission, but he had instructions from Tsunade not to do anything."

"Have you informed the Hokage?"

"Not yet. I want to find them first," Jiraiya replied.

The older ninja was quiet for a long moment, and when he'd finally put whatever was in his thoughts into order, he faced Kakashi once again.

"Sasuke is trying very hard to pretend that the last 6 years haven't affected him," Jiraiya finally said. "He's convinced that he can handle things completely on his own."

Kakashi's lip curled up slightly at that. "Sasuke does that," he said. "He's always been a loner."

"I doubt that's the case," Jiraiya countered. "He was forced to become a loner when his brother killed his clan, and everyone else was only too happy to leave him alone to deal with his ghosts by himself."

Kakashi fought the irrational urge to tell Jiraiya that Sasuke was one of his students and that he knew the boy better than Jiraiya.

"With all due respect, you weren't here," Kakashi said instead.

"It's because I wasn't here that I can see the situation more clearly," Jiraiya insisted. "I don't have a prejudice one way or another about Sasuke. All I see is a very lonely boy who made a terrible mistake and has been left alone to deal with the consequences, whether he wants to be alone or not. We're responsible for our students, are we not, Kakashi?"

It took everything Kakashi had not to react to Jiraiya's statement. A lifetime of pretending not to care about anyone around him worked wonders in situations like this, and he managed to disguise his anger, and the slight sting of truth, as boredom.

"Sasuke is a strong-willed individual," Kakashi finally said and mentally patted himself on the back for managing to keep his voice neutral, "who doesn't like people interfering with his life. I, for one, understand and choose to honor that."

"A lot of good that did him," Jiraiya said. "It led him straight to Orochimaru."

"What do you want from me?" Kakashi asked, a note of exasperation finally creeping into his voice.

"You were his teacher, Kakashi; you stand a better chance of getting through to him than I do. He shouldn't be left alone to deal with everything that's happened to him in the last six years. We both know what happened the first time he was left alone to grieve."

"The only one Sasuke has ever listened to is Naruto," Kakashi said. "I don't know why or how, but Naruto has always managed to get through to him."

"Except for when it counted the most," Jiraiya said. "At least that's what Naruto thinks."

Kakashi sighed. "I've already failed Sasuke," he finally said and averted his eyes from the elder ninja.

"Your student isn't dead," Jiraiya said. "You haven't failed him until you have to attend his funeral."

Kakashi turned to Jiraiya once more and was surprised at the sorrow in his eyes. Kakashi was sure that if he had a mirror, he'd see the same sorrow reflected in his own eyes for the teacher that he still missed.

"Sasuke is stubborn, but so am I," Kakashi finally said, coming to a decision.

"That's the spirit" Jiraiya said with a small smile.

"What about Naruto?" Kakashi asked, realizing that he hadn't stopped by to see his other former student either.

"Don't worry about Naruto, Kakashi, I can handle him. We've spent way too much time together for the kid to be able to hide much from me. Sooner or later, he'll come to his senses and realize that he can't handle this on his own either."

&&&&

"Are you sure you don't want me to pay you with money, young man?" the elder carpenter that owned the small, but fully stocked, shop he'd worked at all day asked Naruto. "You worked so hard and did so well, I'd hate to pay you with only those building supplies."

Naruto grinned as he eyed the load of plywood, shingles, nails, and various tools the man had agreed to pay him with.

"This is the best form of payment you can give me, Inoue-san," he said. "I have a friend whose roof needs repairs, but he doesn't have much money, so these will come in handy."

The man, Inoue Daisuke, nodded his head slightly. "Does this friend need a job?" he asked. "If he's as hard-working as you, I could use the help." Something must have occurred to the man, because his eyes widened in alarm. "Don't worry, Naruto, if you still want to work here, you can. As you can see, I've been blessed with a lot of business and I still haven't completely set up."

Naruto's eyes traveled over the small, but robust shop, and he had to agree that yes, the man needed some serious help in getting all of his supplies organized and catalogued. Inoue-san was primarily a carpenter, and had many beautiful pieces of furniture on display, but he also sold the raw supplies for a number of different things, which is where Naruto's help had come in handy. He had spent the day doing inventory on the man's supplies.

"I'll mention it to my friend," Naruto said.

Inoue-san smiled. "Is he a ninja like you, Naruto?"

"He was," Naruto answered vaguely.

Inoue-san took the answer in stride. "So why did you come work for me, Naruto, if you're already employed by the village?"

Naruto couldn't help but notice the curious, but honest, gleam to the man's eyes.

"I've been given the next few months off, and heard that you needed help. I don't like to just sit around, so here I am," Naruto replied, sticking as close to the truth as possible.

"Well, thank you, young man. I will see you again tomorrow morning?"

"Of course. Until tomorrow," Naruto said. He summoned three of his clones and together, the four of them gathered all of the supplies and made their way to the Uchiha neighborhood.

Naruto had gotten this little idea after he'd seen the supplies in Inoue-san's shop. He'd come to work because he wanted something to do, not because he wanted to make any money. Inoue-san, however, had been adamant about paying him, so they'd finally settled on a deal: for eight hours of work, Naruto could have the supplies he needed to repair Sasuke's roof, which he knew, from the times he'd made use of the Uchiha training areas, needed much work. Naruto wasn't going to tell Sasuke what he was planning on doing because Sasuke would probably tell him to get lost. Instead, Naruto hoped that Sasuke wasn't home and stayed away long enough for him and his clones to do the job.

"Come on, guys, let's get moving," Naruto said and teleported all of them, plus supplies, into the Uchiha neighborhood.

The fist thing Naruto did upon his arrival at the entrance to the Uchiha neighborhood was to look for Sasuke's chakra. When he didn't find it anywhere close to the house Naruto let out a sigh of relief. He wanted to get the job done as quickly and quietly as possible, because he didn't want a confrontation with Sasuke. Keeping that in mind, Naruto traveled the rest of the way to the house quickly and immediately instructed his clones on what he wanted done. Naruto himself took the front portion of the roof, rubbed his hands together in anticipation of the job to come, and got to work.

Four hours later, the roof was done. He was sweaty, thirsty, and achy, but felt a sense of accomplishment as he looked upon the newly laid shingles.

"We did well, considering we have little experience with this sort of thing," said one of the clones that had come to stand beside him.

"I think we picked up enough in our travels to make it work," Naruto replied. "At least the roof no longer looks like Swiss cheese."

The thought made Naruto's stomach rumble and he grumbled at his idiocy for not having brought a snack. He nodded his thanks to his clones for the help and dismissed them, then sat down and stared at the slowly sinking sun. Night was fast approaching and he was pushing his luck in staying here so long, but he didn't want to get up just yet. There was something about the slowly appearing stars in the night sky that had always fascinated him, and the view from the Uchiha roof was beautiful.

The soft sound of someone landing on the roof somewhere behind him brought Naruto out of his contemplation of the sky, and he inwardly cursed. He'd known he was pushing it by sticking around, and he was in no mood to fight with Sasuke. The steps got closer, but Naruto didn't turn his head or make a move to get up.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm watching the stars," Naruto replied. "Who knew that the view from your roof was so good?"

Naruto could tell that Sasuke was not amused by the comment. He wasn't being outright hostile either, which Naruto took to be an invitation to remain where he was.

"You fixed the roof?" Sasuke asked as he sat to one side, but well out of range, of Naruto.

Naruto wasn't sure what to make of the physical distance Sasuke was putting between them, but he had learned over the years to take a hint, and he was definitely reading the one Sasuke was giving him now.

"I had some time, and some spare supplies, so I figured I'd put them to good use," Naruto said."

Sasuke turned and pierced Naruto with a glare. "You just had roofing supplies lying around somewhere? Gee Naruto I didn't think your apartment was big enough."

Naruto clenched his jaw and fought the urge to grab the hammer lying at his feet and throw it at Sasuke's head.

"My apartment is bigger than you think," Naruto replied, more than happy to throw Sasuke's sarcasm back in his face, "you just didn't stay long enough to find that out."

Sasuke's chakra flared momentarily before he smothered it and turned away from Naruto. Naruto sighed and got to his feet. He hadn't come to fight with Sasuke and it was way past time that he went home. He picked up the satchel he'd carried all of the tools in and put them back inside to return to Inoue-san. When he was finished, he turned to Sasuke to tell him about the job, but Sasuke spoke first.

"Why did you do this?" he asked. "I didn't ask for your help, Naruto. I would have taken care of it."

Naruto shrugged. "The roof needed it," he said. "Besides, there's no rule that says you have to take care of everything yourself."

Sasuke looked like he wanted to argue with Naruto's reasoning, but after some moments of indecision, decided against it.

"The carpenter I worked for today needs help, if you're interested in a job. His shop is at the edge of the marketplace, four shops down from the Yamanaka's flower shop. It opens at seven."

Naruto turned to leave and had made it to the edge of the roof when Sasuke's voice stopped him.

"Thank you," Sasuke said.

Naruto smiled, even though Sasuke couldn't see him, and waved.

"See you around, Sasuke," Naruto said and leapt off the roof.

&&&&

Darkness had fully set in, but Sasuke remained where he'd been when Naruto left. The streetlights had come on a short while ago, providing Sasuke with some illumination. He almost wished that they hadn't, so he could have a better view of the stars Naruto had been so intently looking at.

Sasuke's gut twisted at the thought of the blonde ninja. He'd left Naruto's apartment early that morning determined to put some distance between them. The incident, or rather the way the incident had made him feel, had made it clear to Sasuke that he had come to rely on Naruto, which was simply not acceptable. Sasuke had also realized that he'd been clinging not only to Naruto, but to the past that the blonde represented, a past Sasuke desperately wanted, but knew he didn't deserve. He'd willingly thrown it away, and it was time that he began to deal with the consequences.

When Sasuke had finally made it home after leaving Naruto's apartment, he'd made a vow to keep to himself as much as possible. The villagers despised him and the ninja wanted him dead, so he was better off staying out of sight and out of their way, at least until the Hokage allowed him to defend himself. It wouldn't be any different than after his clan had been massacred. Even though he'd had the village's sympathy back then, he'd still been alone.

He'd spent most of the day looking for work, and hadn't been surprised when he'd been turned away at every shop he visited. The glares and the nasty comments that had been hurled at him hadn't disturbed him as much as the realization that, without a job, he was in serious trouble. His only possessions were inside his house, but even that wasn't saying much. He had no food or drinking water, which was his main concern. Then again, he'd learned in Oto to go days without nourishment, so he could definitely survive for a little while. He'd worry about it again when the time came.

Sasuke hadn't expected to see Naruto again for a long while, and he certainly hadn't expected to come home and find Naruto sitting on his newly repaired roof with a possible job opportunity. What was the blonde thinking? He'd made it clear to Sasuke that morning that he was afraid of what Sasuke had been, so why bother coming when everything was finally out in the open and Naruto didn't have to pretend to care anymore? Sasuke shook his head and groaned at the headache he could already feel creeping up on him. Why was dealing with Naruto always so difficult?

"Isn't this a strange place for stargazing?"

Sasuke just barely managed not to show his surprise at yet another unexpected visitor. He turned his head to regard the man standing over him, and the smug look on the man's face told Sasuke that the older ninja was well aware that he'd startled the young man.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, Kakashi?" Sasuke asked, not bothering to hide his sarcasm.

Instead of answering Sasuke's question, Kakashi chose to inspect the roof. He kneeled every now and then, ran his hands over the shingles, and nodded slightly. When he was finished inspecting, he sat next to Sasuke.

"I wasn't aware that you were so well versed in the art of roof repair," Kakashi said. "Something you picked up during your time in Oto?"

Sasuke's jaw clenched at the comment, but he'd expected no less from Kakashi. The man had always spoken his mind, and Sasuke was glad that hadn't changed.

"Unfortunately, no," Sasuke replied. "Orochimaru didn't have much use for that kind of knowledge. He was more interested in the type that maimed or killed people."

"Well that's too bad," Kakashi replied. "Sometimes knowing how to repair a roof is much more useful than knowing how to kill."

Sasuke couldn't help the smirk that graced his lips. "It's been useful to Naruto, at least."

That surprised Kakashi. "What makes you say that?" he asked.

"I didn't fix the roof, Naruto did," Sasuke explained.

That really surprised Kakashi. "I didn't know Naruto could do that," the man said. "Then again, he's traveled quite a bit, I'm sure he's picked up something here and there."

The dream he'd woken up from the night before was suddenly in his mind and Sasuke couldn't hide the shudder at the image of that village leader's headless body lying on the bed, all because he'd helped an injured Naruto.

"Is there something about Naruto traveling that you don't agree with?" Kakashi asked, his eye glued to Sasuke.

"Where did he go?" Sasuke asked, hoping to distract Kakashi and get him to stop looking at him with that penetrating gaze.

It took Kakashi a while to reply. "He went wherever he though you were. If he weren't such a favorite of the Hokage, he would have been demoted, or outright fired, a long time ago."

The thought of Naruto not living his life so that he could go and search for Sasuke left Sasuke feeling heavy with guilt, and he realized that he would never be able to repay the sacrifices that Naruto, and probably Sakura as well, had made for him.

"Why?" Sasuke finally asked, not caring that the one word he'd spoken betrayed the confusion he felt.

"You're one of his precious people, Sasuke," Kakashi said. "No matter what happens or how he may sometimes react, always remember that."

The words washed over Sasuke and he wondered briefly if Naruto had told Kakashi what had happened that morning. He discarded the thought as soon as it had popped into his head, however. Naruto wouldn't talk about something like that, Sasuke was sure of it. The two men sat in companionable silence for a few moments, until Sasuke spoke.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

Kakashi's response was immediate. "I made a mistake when you were my student."

Sasuke didn't bother to hide his surprise. Kakashi's face, normally a mask of boredom, held a seriousness and determination that Sasuke had only seen in Kakashi during battle.

"I took you on as my student because I understood you, Sasuke. Believe it or not, we had a lot in common."

Sasuke was reminded of the last conversation he'd had with Kakashi on the day he'd left Konoha, when Kakashi tied him to a tree with wire so that he wouldn't run away from the lecture.

_Sasuke, forget about revenge. I've seen a lot of people like you and the fate of those who seek revenge is grim. It's tragic. You will end up suffering and hurting yourself even more. _

Kakashi's words had been heartfelt, and Sasuke had responded by telling Kakashi that he knew nothing and had no right to lecture him. He had even gone as far as to say that he should kill Kakashi's most important person, because only then would Kakashi have a right to say that he understood what Sasuke was going through.

_I wouldn't mind if you do_, Kakashi had replied. _Unfortunately, I no longer have anybody important to me. They've all been killed already._

Sasuke hadn't understood then what those words had meant and what it had cost Kakashi to say them. Now, with Orochimaru's memories in his head, Sasuke knew of each and every one of Kakashi's precious people and how they'd come to their tragic end. He also now knew how right Kakashi had been.

As if reading his mind, Kakashi spoke.

"I shouldn't have let you go that day, after your fight with Naruto on the roof of the hospital," Kakashi said. "You were unbalanced and I knew it. Seeing Itachi again, especially when you knew that Itachi had come back looking for Naruto, had sparked something in you and I knew that too. I should have taken you home and stayed with you until you came to your senses. I decided not to because…"

Kakashi trailed off and looked away from Sasuke to focus instead on the stars above them. He remained like that for a long time, long enough that Sasuke thought Kakashi might not finish the conversation he'd started.

"I left you alone because, if I had been in your shoes, it's what I would have wanted," Kakashi finally said. "Would it have stopped you permanently? I doubt it. Could I have convinced you to give up your revenge? Again, I doubt it. I didn't try, however, and that was my mistake."

"I made the choice to leave, Kakashi," Sasuke said after giving the older man a moment. "The consequences of that choice should be mine alone to bear."

"That's where you're wrong, Sasuke," Kakashi said, abandoning his view of the stars and piercing Sasuke with a stare. "Having friends means that you share the responsibility. The four of us, you, Sakura, Naruto, and I, are all in this together, whether you like it or not. That's what a team is, Sasuke, that's why Naruto fixed your roof, even though you probably didn't ask him to."

Sasuke wanted to believe Kakashi, wanted to give himself permission to share his life with them and let them help him, but the risk was too great, and it wasn't one that Sasuke was willing to take. It almost physically hurt to force the words out of his mouth, but he had to for their sake.

"We stopped being a team the moment I walked through the main gate, Kakashi," Sasuke said, his voice raspier than he meant it to be. "You and the other two are deluding yourselves if you think that things can just go back to the way they were. You have no idea how different I am now."

"We're all different now, Sasuke. Time tends to do that to a person." Kakashi took a deep breath, released it, and then got to his feet. "I let you deal with your demons by yourself once, Sasuke; I'm not going to do it again."

With that, Kakashi disappeared, leaving Sasuke alone to once again wonder why the members of the former team 7 refused to leave him alone.

&&&&

So there you have it. There wasn't much action in this chapter, but there should be more in the next when Konoha gets a visit from our friends from Mist.

Don't forget to leave a review on your way out! They feed the muse, which is always a good thing.


	7. Unexpected Visitors

Greetings! I apologize for the delay, but life got in the way big time and put me out of commission for a little while. I'm almost back to normal, so I'm picking up my writing.

I usually don't like to bore people with author's notes, but there are a few things I wanted to address:

**Itachi's Fate**: This has not been mentioned for a reason. I've dropped a couple of hints, though. I believe in writing a story with enough mystery and suspense to keep people interested, as opposed to spoon feeding the reader everything. In addition to that, the first scene I envisioned for this story is the scene where Itachi's fate is revealed, and I'm not ready to write it just yet.

**Technique Names**: This chapter made it painfully clear that using the Japanese name in a predominantly English story doesn't work for me, so I'm exercising my creative license and will use the English names instead (now that I know where to find them). I will use the Japanese translations, not the half English/half Japanese that the dub uses (shudders at the sheer ugliness of it).

**Story Updates**: It takes me months to post a new chapter, and not everyone is happy with that or likes the wait. I write long chapters because I believe in giving the reader a chapter that is long enough to get caught up in, because that's what I like to read. I also edit, and in that process re-write, the chapter quite a few times. I'm not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I try to at least do what I can to make each chapter the best that I can. That takes time. I will not sacrifice my writing process in order to post a chapter every week. If you don't like waiting for me to post, then you don't have to read the story, it's that simple.

**Summary**: A couple of people have mentioned, and I completely agree with them, that my summary stinks. I tend to be very generic in the summary because I don't want to give anything away, but that's not always a good thing as it has deterred people from reading (I don't know about this story, but I do know for sure about a couple of my others). I'll work on refining it over the course of the story… maybe I'll get it right eventually.

**Reviews**: Thank you to those of you who take the time (especially those of you who take the time to review every chapter) to leave me a review. I was very disappointed for a while, because I could see how many people were reading each chapter, but less than 1 percent of those people were reviewing and I couldn't figure out why that was. I still don't know why that is, but at least it's getting a little better.

**Story Notes**: The incident Sakura thinks about in this chapter takes place during episode 109. Kakashi's conversation with Sasuke from chapter 6 takes place in episode 108. I forgot to note this in that chapter.

Okay, that's it! I think I've used up all of my author's notes space for the rest of the story… lol! Sorry about that. As always, enjoy!

Posted 4/28/07

**&&&&**

**Chapter 7: Unexpected Visitors**

The lights that signified the life of the village got fewer and further between as Sakura walked towards the outskirts of the place she'd lived in her entire life. This part of the village was dark and almost deserted. The few buildings that still remained were mostly old, administrative buildings that had once been teeming with Uchiha but had been abandoned when the prestigious clan had been massacred. The few buildings that were not abandoned had been converted to apartment homes, but even those only housed a small number of people. Most of Konoha's citizens feared the Uchiha ghosts and stayed away from this place, and those that chose to live here did so mainly because they were not welcome anywhere else.

Sakura saw none of the residents as she reached the fork in the road she'd been heading for. She came to a stop, suddenly unsure of what she was doing. She looked to her left, at the road that would lead her to the young man that had become one of her most important friends, and was sorely tempted to head in that direction. She knew the reception she would get if she headed that way, and had to resist the urge to find comfort in her former teammate. Instead, she turned and started down the road to her right, towards an unknown and possibly unpleasant reception.

The young man she was headed towards had, at one point in her life, meant everything to her. A few weeks ago, she'd thought that she was over Sasuke, but seeing him again had reminded her of a lot of her old feelings. For just that reason, she'd avoided him. There were a lot of things that she wanted to ask him, but she knew that Sasuke would be brutally honest in his answers, and she didn't think that she was ready for that. Tonight, however, she decided that she'd face her past like she had faced everything else in her life for the past six years: head on and with no hesitation.

One of the memories that had returned, and refused to leave her mind, since Sasuke came back was the memory of the night Sasuke had left Konoha for good. She smiled sadly as she recalled the way the night had started, with her and Naruto's first "date". It hadn't been a real date, of course, but Sakura had wanted to tell Naruto about the curse seal Orochimaru had placed on Sasuke, a secret Sasuke had made her keep from their teammate during the Chunin exams. They'd ended up at Ichiraku, and she'd told her teammate everything. Naruto, in turn, had confessed to meeting Orochimaru during his and Jiraiya's search for Tsunade. The blonde had then given her one of his goofy grins and told her not to worry, because Sasuke was already strong and wouldn't accept Orochimaru's invitation.

_I guarantee it_, Naruto had said, and Sakura couldn't help but believe her teammate's heart-felt words.

As they'd left the ramen stand, Sakura had gotten a strange feeling of dread, which had ultimately prompted her to go and wait on a bench on the main road leading out of the village. To this day, she couldn't tell what she had been expecting to find on that road, but she hadn't been too surprised to find Sasuke when he'd finally come through.

When she'd confronted him, he'd told her to go home and sleep. The dismissal had hurt deeply, but it had also given her the strength to finally say what she'd wanted to say to him and had been, up to that point, too timid to put into words. Sasuke had always told her that she was annoying, and that day she'd stated what she thought were Sasuke's feelings for her:

_You've always hated me, huh?_

Sakura had been crying by then, and the tears had only increased when Sasuke hadn't denied the claim. She'd been so desperate to excuse what he was saying and doing that she could hardly think straight. Sakura knew he was leaving and would have done anything she possibly could to keep him with her. She tried to reason with him, told him that revenge wouldn't make him happy, and he countered by saying that he was different and was meant for something other than what Naruto and Sakura were destined for. Sakura had only cried harder and told him that if he left, even though she had friends and a family, she'd be alone.

_I love you so much. If you stay with me, I'll make sure you won't regret it. Every day will be fun. We'll definitely be happy. I'll do anything for you, so please stay here._

She'd bared her soul completely and held nothing back in hopes that her honesty would sway him to remain. She'd even offered to go with him, but all Sasuke had done was say that she was annoying after all. When she'd threatened to scream, he'd moved so fast that she'd lost track of him for a moment, and when she realized where he was, it was too late. He'd hit her on the back of the head and knocked her out, but not before thanking her. He hadn't told her what he was thanking her for, but that one simple phrase had kept her hopes alive for these many years.

She had been so young and foolish at the time, but the tears that now streamed down her cheeks at the memory made her realize that Sasuke was still an open wound in her heart, and tonight's visit would either reopen the wound further and irrevocably break her heart, or help it begin to heal. She wouldn't know until she confronted the young mad that had helped shape her into the young woman that she was.

Sakura had been so deep in thought that she'd failed to notice she had entered the Uchiha neighborhood and was now standing in front of Sasuke's house. The place still looked abandoned, even though she could see that Sasuke had done some work to the outside. She wondered, not for the first time, what the house had looked like in its prime, before Itachi had killed his clan. She couldn't imagine how Sasuke managed to live here after the massacre and how he managed to live here now, even if it was an order from the Hokage.

She took a deep breath and did her best to calm her nerves. She wiped the few, remaining tears from her cheeks, and when she felt prepared for what was to come, she knocked on the door three times. She waited for a few minutes, but there was no response. She knocked again, and when there was still no response, she began to worry. She'd been so wrapped up in her memories that she hadn't checked to make sure she could feel Sasuke's chakra in the house. Even if she looked for it, however, Sasuke was a skilled enough ninja that there was no guarantee that he she'd sense it.

Deciding to give it a try anyway, Sakura was surprised to find that Sasuke was inside the house. A part of her wondered if he knew she was the one visiting and had chosen not to answer the door. Then she remembered that Sasuke wouldn't do that. If he didn't want to see her, he'd come to the door and tell her to get lost. Leaving before he answered the door was very appealing, but she'd come all this way and cooked a meal for the both of them and she wasn't about to run away. She knocked three more times and finally, after a couple more minutes of waiting, the door was opened to reveal a shirtless Sasuke wearing only a white towel. His hair was down and still wet from the shower he'd apparently been taking.

"Sakura," he said, looking at her. Surprise flitted quickly through his eyes, before it disappeared into the cool iciness that was the norm in Sasuke's eyes.

Sakura's breath left her lungs as she took in the state he was in. Her heart sped up in her chest and, for a second, she felt as if she was twelve and love struck all over again. She could feel the blush creeping into her cheeks and it took monumental effort to fight it off. She wasn't twelve anymore and she'd be dammed if she'd act like it.

"I'd like to talk to you, if that's okay," Sakura said, glad that her voice was steady. "I also brought dinner, if you're hungry," Sakura added, and held up the containers she carried.

Sasuke examined her for a moment longer, before finally stepping back and opening the door wider so that Sakura could enter the house. Sakura stepped carefully past him and quickly avoided her eyes. She'd noticed both the scars littered across Sasuke's chest and the seal branded into his bicep, and didn't want him to think that she was gawking at him.

"I don't have much furniture," Sasuke said as he closed the door behind her, "but the table in the kitchen is still usable, if you want to talk in there."

He led her past the nearly empty main room and into the small, but clean kitchen.

"I'm going to finish getting dressed," Sasuke said and left her in the kitchen.

Sakura set the food she'd brought down on the table and noticed that her hands were shaking slightly. She took a couple of deep breaths and let her eyes wonder around the kitchen. This was the first time she'd entered Sasuke's house, and a part of her still couldn't believe that he'd actually let her in. The cold and detached attitude Sasuke had greeted her with shouldn't surprise her after all of the years she'd known him, but as much as she hated to admit, it still hurt. Shaking her head, Sakura dismissed the sting and got to work getting everything set up for dinner.

When Sasuke returned to the kitchen, he was dressed in a pair of black sweatpants and a white shirt. As he crossed the threshold into the room, Sakura couldn't help a small shudder as a battle a year and a half ago suddenly flashed into her mind, and Sasuke's calm was momentarily replaced with Orochimaru's maliciousness. Sasuke noticed it, because his eyes narrowed and his jaw tightened.

"Does it bother you?" Sasuke asked, fingering a strand of hair that had fallen over his shoulder.

Sakura briefly contemplating lying to him, but decided that if she wanted truthful answers to her questions, she should give truthful answers to his.

"Yes, a little bit," Sakura finally said.

Sasuke nodded, as if he'd expected the answer. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a leather tie, and then quickly put his hair up in a ponytail.

"It bothered Naruto as well," Sasuke added, with a trace of bitterness in his voice.

Although tempted to ask what he meant, Sakura had learned over her years in Team 7 not to get involved in Sasuke and Naruto's arguments. They'd always managed to work through their difficulties, and she had no doubt that they'd do the same now. Instead, Sakura pointed to the table where she'd laid out the food she'd warmed up.

"Everything is ready," she said and settled herself in front of the first place setting. Sasuke did the same, taking the place across from Sakura.

Sakura had laid out the food and serving utensils so that each of them could get the food they wanted. She could have served the meal, and if she'd been with Naruto she would have, but she didn't want Sasuke to think that she was being too familiar. She let Sasuke serve himself first, before she took a little bit of the fish, vegetables and rice she'd brought. She was too nervous to eat, but it would look bad if she didn't eat her own food.

"How are you feeling, Sasuke? Are your injuries healed?" Sakura asked.

"I'm fine," he said. "The lingering effects of the battle have disappeared."

"How are you getting along here?" she tried again. "The house looks like you've done quite a bit of work on it."

Sasuke nodded. "It'll take time and patience to get it into decent shape again, but it's worth the effort."

With that, the conversation died. They ate in silence for a while after that, until Sasuke unexpectedly broke it.

"You're a very good cook, Sakura," Sasuke said. "The food is delicious."

For the second time that night, Sakura fought the urge to blush. "Thank you," she said, miraculously keeping her voice steady. "My mother taught me."

Silence reigned over them once again. Sakura picked at her food and even managed to eat a little bit. Sasuke had served himself a small portion of what she'd brought, and she was glad to notice that he had almost finished it.

"There's plenty of food if you want more," Sakura said.

Sasuke looked down at his plate and then at hers. He set his chopsticks down and fixed her with a steady gaze. "You're not eating much," he said.

"I…" Sakura trailed off, the excuse dying on her lips as Sasuke's dark eyes bore into her.

"You said you wanted to talk," Sasuke said. "Now would be a good time to start, don't you think?"

Sakura took a deep breath and decided that it was indeed a good time to start. "Did you ever feel anything for me?" she blurted out.

Sasuke's eyes widened for a moment, and Sakura could feel his defenses immediately going up. The rise in his chakra was a good indication that he felt threatened, and she had to work to keep hers from reacting in the same manner. When Sasuke had reined his chakra in, and his face had lost the trace of surprise that the question had caused, he opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Sasuke frowned, as if searching for words, which Sakura found amusing despite the circumstances. She'd never seen Sasuke at a loss for words before. When he finally spoke, Sasuke's voice was soft and barely audible.

"I didn't have time for childish things like that," he said. "I couldn't think past what I thought I had to do."

The words cut deep, even though she'd been expecting no other answer. Sasuke's voice was no longer detached, however. For the first time since she could remember, she heard a small trace of regret in that deep voice.

"What was I to you?" Sakura asked, her voice a loud contrast to Sasuke's. "When you left Konoha, I bared my soul to you, but all you said was that I really was annoying. Was that all you ever thought of me?"

Sakura felt the sting of tears in her eyes but she blinked it away. She'd cried in front of Sasuke one too many times already and she was not about to do the same again. She'd come to put this behind her once and for all, and getting emotional and irrational wasn't going to help her.

"No, that's not all I ever thought," Sasuke replied. "That's what I told you to get you to go away."

Sakura was caught off guard by the response. "What?"

Sasuke shrugged. "You were annoying and Naruto was a moron. All I wanted back then was to be left alone, but you two wouldn't go away. You especially, you'd always be around, pestering me."

Sasuke paused, but Sakura remained quiet. She could tell that Sasuke was not finished yet.

"Working with you on Team 7 was exasperating at first, because all you'd see when you looked at me was what everyone in the village saw: the heir to the Uchiha bloodline." Sasuke paused again and took a sip of the tea she'd made for them. "As time went on, I began to realize that you were a strong and determined ninja. You proved yourself to be dependable and powerful, and I respected that."

"Then why did you treat me as you did?" Sakura said. "If you respected me, why didn't you ever tell me?"

"I wanted to be left alone," Sasuke said. "I knew I'd leave eventually to pursue what I saw as my destiny and didn't want to leave baggage behind."

Sakura stared at Sasuke, stunned at what he'd just told her. It made a twisted kind of sense once she looked back at everything that had happened since she was assigned to Team 7.

"You still haven't answered my first question, Sasuke," Sakura said.

Sasuke got up and began to clear the table. His back was to her when he finally replied.

"You were my teammate, Sakura, nothing more."

Sakura nodded at the answer, even though he couldn't see her. She felt almost relieved at his words. Not that she'd expected another answer, but she felt as if years of wondering what might have been had he stayed were finally put to rest now that everything was finally out in the open. She got up and went to him, gently placing her hands on his shoulders to turn him around so that he could face her.

"I loved you with all of my heart back then," Sakura said. "I was young and foolish and didn't have the slightest idea of what love was. I love you now, but as a dear friend. I'm glad you're back, Sasuke."

Sasuke gave her a small, ghost of a smile, which made her grin. It had been way too long since she'd seen him smile.

"Well, it's late and I'm sure you want to get to sleep. I'll be on my way," Sakura added, not wishing to ruin the tentative first steps they'd just taken into what she hoped would turn into a lifelong friendship. She smiled again, feeling a lot less weighed down than she had when she first got to Sasuke's house.

"Wait, let me get these together for you," Sasuke said, putting the lids on the still full containers of food she'd brought.

"Keep those," Sakura said. "I figured you wouldn't have much food here, so maybe that'll feed you for a little bit. You can return the containers to me later. It'll give you an excuse to come to my house."

Sasuke nodded at the gesture and then walked her to the door.

"For what it's worth," Sasuke said as she stepped out into the moonlight, "I am sorry for the pain I've caused you, Sakura."

Sakura turned and was surprised to see Sasuke's unguarded face for the first time in many, many years. "I know," Sakura said. "Have a good night, Sasuke."

With that, she took to the nearest roof and made her way home.

**&&&&**

Sasuke watched Sakura go and breathed a sigh of relief when she'd finally gotten out of sight. He hadn't expected her visit and certainly hadn't expected that she'd be the one to bring up the many unresolved issues that remained between them. Sasuke had never quite understood when or why Sakura had developed such intense feelings for him and hadn't known what to do with them. Sakura's devotion and admiration for him, more than that of the other girls in their class, had not only annoyed him but they had also worried him. He didn't want her to feel anything for him, because he knew that he couldn't get involved with anyone in Konoha. He existed for only one reason and had known that if anyone else got involved with him, they'd end up hurt, just like his family had been. He'd hurt Sakura deeply when he'd left, but at least he'd left her still alive to hurt. She might not have understood that at the time, but Sasuke now knew that Sakura had come to terms with it in the six years since.

Now that she'd gotten her feelings out in the open for the second time, and now that Sasuke had actually listened to and acknowledged them, he felt as if they'd finally put the baggage between them to rest and could finally coexist: she without the pain of rejection and he with a bit less guilt about the pain he'd caused her.

Sasuke made his way back to the kitchen, cleaned up and stored the food Sakura had brought. She had been right to assume that he had no food, and what she'd brought him would take the worry of acquiring food off his mind for a few days. The prospect of employment, which Naruto had left him with earlier, was encouraging. Sasuke had a feeling, however, that as soon as the shop's owner realized who Naruto had sent over, he'd turn Sasuke away like every other shop had that day. Sasuke shrugged. He had nothing to lose by showing up and giving it a try.

When he was finished cleaning the kitchen, Sasuke headed for his bedroom to get ready for bed. Once there he opened the sliding door that led to the balcony and stared out into the night. When he had been a member of Team 7, he'd paid little attention to either his teacher or his teammates. They'd been a necessary burden and all he'd bothered to do was tolerate them and bide his time until he could undertake his _real _purpose. Naruto had somehow managed to get under his skin and form a deeper bond, which had almost gotten the blonde killed. Sasuke hadn't wanted friends or a mentor, but it looked like he'd gotten just that, if what Kakashi and Naruto had said to him earlier, and what Sakura had just said, was any indication.

Shaking his head at the tenacity of the people he was surrounded with, Sasuke closed the door and made his way to the bed. When he had stripped down to his shorts, he pulled the covers back and immediately dropped them when he noticed the six hissing snakes in the middle of his bed. He jumped back as one launched itself at him, only to bounce back onto the bed when it hit the invisible barrier that was keeping them from slithering off the bed. An additional snake had been pierced with a kunai, leaving a mess of blood and guts on his bed. There was a note stuck to the kunai, which Sasuke immediately reached for.

_Traitor. Leave and go back to where you came from._

The note was written in red, and it didn't take Sasuke long to realize that the dead snake's blood had been used as ink. Sasuke crushed the note in his right hand, his heart still pounding from the shock of the unexpected 'gift'. The snakes were harmless and had been left behind to scare him, not to cause any damage, so Sasuke picked them up all at once. As soon as they were in his hands, they calmed considerably; a couple of them even slithered up his arm until they were resting across his shoulders. Sasuke stepped out onto the balcony and coaxed the living snakes off of him, and then tossed the dead one still impaled on the kunai onto the backyard. He jumped onto the roof without bothering to dress and scanned the surroundings for foreign chakra. He didn't find anything. He could feel slight traces of Naruto's chakra, since the blonde had spent a considerable amount of time on the roof, but Sasuke doubted that Naruto would break into his house to leave snakes on his bed.

Whoever had done it probably waited until Sasuke had left early that morning before they entered the house. They had to have left traces of their activities, which prompted Sasuke to get off the roof and walk the perimeter of the house to check for the place of entry. After a thorough search of the grounds, he found nothing out of place and no chakra residue. The people responsible for that little 'gift' were very skilled and most likely jounin level ninja or higher to have left absolutely no trace.

Sasuke sighed in resignation. There was nothing he could do about it, not without having witnessed the break in. Even if he had witnessed it, Sasuke doubted that he would have been able to do anything short of ordering the person off his property. Telling the Hokage would accomplish nothing, so Sasuke decided to keep this incident to himself. If they tried again, he'd just make sure to be ready to catch them.

The thought of someone inside the house, however, made Sasuke's blood boil, and not just because of what they'd done. What else had they done while they were inside? Had they poked around and looked into the other bedrooms? Had they gone into the dojo that he, himself, hadn't been in since the night his parents had been killed? Had they left snakes, or anything a little more destructive, anywhere else in the house?

Sasuke jumped back into his room and proceeded to check every inch of the house for any other surprises.

**&&&&**

YukioIsamu surveyed the small squad he'd brought with him across the sea and into the heart of Fire Country. They all wore long, black cloaks, so Yukio was unable to see his companion's faces, but he'd known them all of their lives and would place his life in their hands with no hesitation. Ogawa Kenji was a master of genjutsu and had been one of the few ninja that Yukio had trained. Tokei Mai was an older ninja, but she'd been working in the ANBU from a very young age and there was no one in Kirigakure that could match her in taijutsu. Their combined skills, along with a special little something Yukio closely guarded, would ensure that they would take down Konoha's demon.

They stood just outside the South wall of Konoha, near a deserted part of the village that had once housed Konoha's most powerful clans. Kenji had weaved a genjutsu that rendered them invisible to anyone on guard on the wall, which would allow them to enter quietly. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a map of the village that had been given to them by Orochimaru when Oto's leader had met with them.

"This is where we are," Yukio said, pointing to the black X on the map that signified the position where they would infiltrate, "and this is where we're going," he continued, pointing to the red X marked not far from where they were. "The plan is simple: we enter the village, find the demon, kill him, and then leave. If we are caught, we know what to do, correct?"

Kenji and Mai both nodded. Yukio couldn't see their faces because of the cloaks, but he knew that his own determination would be mirrored in their eyes. They would succeed, or die trying.

"Let's move out," he said and entered Konoha.

**&&&&**

"_You didn't really think I'd make this easy for you, did you Naruto-kun?"_

_Naruto was too busy working to regain his breath and not choke on the blood coming up the back of his throat to spare Orochimaru a response. He didn't have much time left; he'd exhausted his chakra long ago, and the fox's chakra was quickly diminishing as well. If Orochimaru managed another hit or two, he'd be dead._

"_Have you wondered, Naruto-kun, if Sasuke completed his self-appointed mission?"_

_Naruto spit a mouthful of blood and glared at the man grinning in front of him. Orochimaru was bleeding in several places, but none of the injuries had been enough to do any serious damage. Orochimaru seemed almost invigorated despite the battle that was taking place._

"_I have a feeling that you're going to tell me whether I want to hear it or not," Naruto finally said. _

_Orochimaru's grin grew, making Sasuke's face twist grotesquely. "You're absolutely right, Naruto. I would hate for you to die without knowing if Sasuke had achieved his goal. After all, he sacrificed everything, including his friendship with you, to gain enough power to kill his brother. Uchiha Itachi was…"_

_Orochimaru's words were drowned out as a scream tore itself from Naruto's throat. He doubled over, his hands over his stomach, where he could feel his seal glowing intensely. Pain ripped through him as the fox fought him for control. Orochimaru had attempted to perform the Five Elements Seal on him again, the same one that the snake had put on him during his first Chunin exam, which prevented the fox's chakra to mix with his. Naruto hadn't let him complete the process, but Orochimaru had managed to inflict some damage and the fox was taking advantage of that weakness. Naruto's senses were dulled to anything but the pain, and when it receded slightly and he'd been able to maintain his sanity and control of his body, he barely managed to catch Orochimaru's movement as the man came at him, sword in hand. He wasn't able to move fast enough, and Orochimaru's sword pierced his stomach just above the seal._

"_You are a foolish, little boy."_

**&&&&**

Naruto's eyes snapped open to the sound of his harsh breathing. He was cold and reached out for his comforter, but cursed when he realized that he'd probably kicked it off the bed again. He sat up and rubbed his arms to fight the chills that ran through him. When would he stop having these nightmares? It wasn't the same every night: he'd dream about the battle with Orochimaru one day, the battle with Kabuto the next, and then the deaths of the villagers the day after that. It was constant carnage made worse by the fact that Naruto knew he'd been the cause of all the death and destruction. His mind couldn't rest, and it was taking a physical toll on him as well. It was probably for the best that Tsunade had suspended him, because he doubted that he was in any shape to take on a mission.

The spike of foreign chakra alerted him to dive for cover seconds before a kunai sailed past the spot where his head had just been. Naruto slipped off the bed and onto the floor beside it as he reached out with his senses to determine how many intruders he was facing. He felt two foreign signatures, one by the door to his bedroom, and the sound of his window breaking alerted him to the presence of the other. They had him cornered between his bed and the wall, so he'd just have to buy himself a little time.

He formed the appropriate seal and muttered "Shadow Clone Technique."

Two clones immediately popped into existence and got to work on the two ninja. As the clones provided him with a cover, Naruto scrambled to the dresser where he kept his spare weapons. His pack and uniform were out of reach, so the few weapons he kept as spares would have to do. He formed a few more seals and induced a simple illusion to further distract his opponents. He was surprised when the illusion was immediately countered. One of the ninja was apparently an expert in genjutsu, so he'd have to be extra careful so as not to get trapped in one of their illusions.

He heard the clones pop out of existence and knew that his time had run out. He pulled four kunai out of the drawer he'd opened and then quickly replaced himself with the comforter he'd been looking for earlier and teleported himself behind the opponent closest to him. As the man attacked his bedding, Naruto threw two of the kunai at him. They were easily deflected, which Naruto had expected. One kunai was perfectly deflected into the top drawer of the dresser, where he stored the few explosive notes he kept. Naruto formed another seal.

"Exploding Tag: Activate," he said and the notes exploded.

The ninja was thrown across the room and into the opposite wall where, as Naruto could see now that the cloak had come off the ninja's face, she lay still. Naruto didn't know whether the woman was dead or alive, but he didn't have time to worry about it as the other ninja came at him with a wicked looking sword. Naruto dove into his open closet, where he stored his gear, and managed to find his own sword, which had been a gift from Jiraiya for his eighteenth birthday. He unsheathed it and met the man's downward sweep before the blade could cut him in half. Naruto then used his speed to get behind the ninja and strike. He managed to pierce the man's left side before he was thrown back by a very powerful blast of chakra.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked as he scrambled to get to his feet, his sword lost somewhere in the bedding that littered the floor, "what do you want?"

The man came at Naruto with the sword once again. Naruto had no time to look for his weapon, and the bedroom was too small for a fight of this nature, so Naruto infused chakra into his feet and used the wall to get past the ninja. He launched himself off the wall and out of the room, but before he could make it into the living area he was stopped by a third ninja, one he hadn't sensed. The shock of this discovery was enough to stop him for a moment, which gave the man in the bedroom enough time to catch up to him and slash the sword across his back, from left shoulder to right hip. Naruto hissed at the burning pain, which was enough to break his momentary paralysis.

He ducked under the third ninja's attack and kicked at the man's knees, which sent him onto the floor. The ninja's cloak fell away from his face and Naruto found hard, angry eyes glaring at him. The ninja brought his hands up in a very familiar group of seals and before Naruto could form his own to counteract the illusion, he was trapped in it. His apartment disappeared and he found himself standing on a misty beach. The scene reminded him of the fight with Zabuza and Haku during the mission with Tazuna, which revealed the ninja's allegiance to Naruto. He and Shikamaru had recently speculated over the reports the ANBU had heard about Kirigakure's suspected plans, and if Naruto made it out of this alive, they'd have proof that Kirigakure's intentions were not friendly.

Naruto formed the seals that would release the illusion, but was unable to get out of it. Instead, the mist became thicker, heavier, and his vision started to blur.

"Show yourself," Naruto yelled into the mist, but he couldn't see or hear anything. "Don't hide like a coward, come out and fight!"

A sharp pain on his calf made Naruto yelp, and he looked down to find a very brown and very large snake wrapped around his ankle. The snake's head turned from where it had just bitten him and Naruto could have sworn that he saw it smile.

"Try releasing the illusion one more time," it said, to Naruto's surprise.

Naruto continued to stare at the snake, unsure of whether it was part of the illusion or something else. The snake tightened its body around Naruto's ankle, which sent pain shooting up his leg.

"Kid, if you just stand there, the chemicals that the man who wove this illusion is expelling are going to knock you unconscious before you can break free," the snake said. "The venom I just injected into you will help, but not if you keep standing there."

"Why should I believe you?" Naruto asked the snake.

"Because Sasuke sent me," the snake said.

That was not what Naruto had expected to hear, but in these circumstances, it was enough. He formed the necessary seals.

"Release."

The mist immediately cleared and he found himself back at his apartment. The ninja that had cast the illusion had drawn his own sword and was holding it to Naruto's throat, while the man he'd left behind in his bedroom had come into the living room holding the bleeding wound at his side.

"You killed Mai, you monster," the man said as he got closer to Naruto. "You will die for that."

This ninja's face was now visible, and Naruto could see hatred in the man's eyes similar to what he still saw in the villager's eyes, and had no doubt that the man knew about the fox sealed inside of him. Something moved on Naruto's leg and he let his eyes travel down to see that the snake was still wrapped around his leg. Both ninja noticed it as well and seemed momentarily surprised at its presence.

Naruto used the surprise to his advantage. He grabbed the arm holding the sword at his throat and fell backwards. He braced his left foot against the junction of the ninja's arm and shoulder to keep the sword from impaling him as they fell. Naruto let the kunai he'd hidden in his sleeve slide into his open palm and threw them at the other ninja. One managed to hit the man on the shoulder, but it was not enough to incapacitate him. Naruto hit the floor on his back, which brought a rush of pain from the earlier sword wound. He threw the ninja he'd brought down with him over his head, and Naruto heard the man land on the table in the kitchen. Naruto scrambled to his feet and was halfway turned towards the man in the kitchen when his body froze.

The man didn't seem surprised by this turn of events at all. He picked up the sword he'd dropped in the scuffle and would have slit Naruto's throat if a kunai hadn't lodged itself in his throat and sent him crashing into the nearest wall. Naruto blinked stupidly at the spot where the man had recently been and tried to figure out who had thrown the kunai. He didn't have to wonder long as the ninja behind him spoke.

"Lord Orochimaru," the man said, fear clearly evident in his voice, "I didn't know you'd be here."

The snake wrapped around Naruto's lower leg bit him again, and the rush of pain was enough to break whatever had paralyzed him. Naruto turned to find Sasuke standing by the front door, glaring at the only remaining ninja, who had dropped into a deep bow in front of Sasuke. Naruto shuddered at the killing intent radiating off of his friend.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked.

Sasuke stepped fully into the apartment and stopped right in front of the ninja's bowed head. The man was radiating fear, which was a sharp contrast to the hatred he'd been exhibiting during the fight with Naruto. The ninja kept his forehead against the floor, which caused his voice to be slightly muffled.

"We're following the plan, Lord Orochimaru," the man said. "We've done just as you instructed; we've come to kill the monster." The man paused momentarily, as if weighing whether or not he should continue speaking. "I was not informed that you would be here to greet us," the man added.

Sasuke's chakra rose dangerously, and Naruto was sure that the ninja could feel it as well, if the slight shudder that went through him was any indication. Sasuke briefly disappeared from Naruto's view, and when he reappeared, he'd pulled the man to his feet and had him by the throat.

"What did you come here to accomplish?" Sasuke asked the now terrified ninja.

"You told us that if we killed Konoha's monster, we'd have less opposition when we finally invaded. Do you not remember that, Lord?"

Something flittered across Sasuke's eyes, which made them widen for a fraction of a second. Naruto doubted that the ninja noticed it, but he'd known Sasuke a lot longer and could tell that the man's words had sparked something in Sasuke's memory. Sasuke squeezed the ninja's throat even more and Naruto was about to yell at him to not kill the man, but Sasuke's eyes turned to him and effectively silenced him.

"When is the invasion?" Sasuke asked. "Where is your army? Are you three the only ones here?"

The man's mouth opened and closed as he gasped for air. Naruto had every intention of going up to Sasuke and forcing him to let go of the ninja, but his body had other ideas. He was suddenly light headed and could not stay on his feet. Naruto collapsed and landed on his side, his entire body going numb, with the exception of the burning pain across his back. The snake slithered up Naruto's body until it had coiled around the arm that had landed in front of him.

"You better hurry, this one's in trouble," the snake said to Sasuke.

"It's already started," the ninja said when Sasuke loosened his grip on the man's throat. "The poison is already spreading and he will soon be dead as you desired, Lord Orochimaru."

Sasuke squeezed the back of the ninja's neck and the man dropped to the floor. Naruto wanted to ask if the man was dead, but found that he couldn't speak. Sasuke kneeled in front of Naruto and held out his hand for the snake to leave Naruto and coil around his arm instead.

"Go get Tsunade. Tell her to bring everything she has on poisons, and any of the Yakushi research she can find, because she'll need an antidote fast," Sasuke told the snake. The snake turned its head to look at Naruto once more and then disappeared.

Sasuke carefully examined Naruto until he came upon the wound on his back.

"There isn't much time, Naruto," Sasuke said, and Naruto could see Sasuke's jaw clenching and unclenching. "The ninja's blade was laced with a poison that was made for you by Kabuto, on orders from Orochimaru. Orochimaru gave it to the Mizukage when he learned that Kirigakure was planning to invade Konoha. The venom of the snake I sent to you partially fights the effects, but it's not enough."

Sasuke's cold mask cracked a little, and for a moment, Naruto thought that he could see concern on the Uchiha's face. The numbness he'd felt wore off and Naruto was left shaking with uncontrollable chills. Sasuke went to the couch and pulled off the blanket Naruto kept there and wrapped Naruto tightly in it. He then sat on the floor against the wall and pulled Naruto into his lap. Sasuke also rubbed his hands against the blanket to generate a bit more heat.

"You need to stay awake, Naruto, do you understand me?" Sasuke said. "You need to mold as much chakra as you can. The poison is designed to render you unable to tap into the fox's chakra and then destroy your chakra pathways. If chakra is actively flowing through them, it will delay the process."

_Mold chakra? Are you out of your mind?_ Naruto thought. _I can barely breathe._

He did as instructed, however, and found that the little chakra he was able to mold left a little bit of warmth behind, but it also left him tired. Soon, his vision began to blur and his eyes started to close.

"Don't give in, Naruto. Fight it, damn it!" Sasuke said, eerily echoing Naruto's words to him when trying to get Sasuke to fight Orochimaru's influence, though he doubted that Sasuke actually remembered hearing them.

Naruto wished that he could comply with his friend's instructions, but he could not stay awake any longer. With one last look at his friend's now fearful, black eyes, Naruto gave in to the black void that beckoned him.

**&&&&**

"Damn it!" Sasuke yelled to the empty living room as soon as Naruto lost his battle to stay conscious.

Naruto's chakra was getting progressively more unstable, and all Sasuke could do was watch Naruto's trembling body and try to keep him as warm as possible. If Orochimaru had made the poison himself, Sasuke would have been able to create an antidote from memory. Since Kabuto had made it, and Kabuto was currently not present for Sasuke to force an antidote out of him, there was nothing he could do. He only hoped that Tsunade would get here before it was too late.

He didn't have to wait too long before Tsunade rushed into the apartment with Shizune and Jiraiya in tow. As soon as she saw Naruto, she pulled him out of Sasuke's lap and took him to the couch.

"Check the wound on his back," Sasuke said as he got to his feet. "The blade that inflicted the damage was laced with poison."

Tsunade pulled Naruto's ripped shirt off of him, turned him onto his stomach, and had to rip the waistband of his shorts in order to get a good look at the entire wound. It was deep and still openly bleeding, and extended from the tip of Naruto's left shoulder to the middle of his right hip.

"Where is the sword that did this?" Tsunade asked.

Sasuke pointed to the sword lying by Shizune's feet. "I think it was that one."

Shizune picked it up by the hilt and took it, and the books and scrolls she'd brought, to the kitchen counter.

"The snake said to bring any Yakushi research I could find," Shizune asked. "I take it Kabuto was involved in the creation of this poison?"

Sasuke nodded.

"We'll talk about the fact that you're not supposed to perform any summons later," Tsunade muttered from where she was working on Naruto.

Sasuke, who was already on edge from his rude awakening by the ninja's chakra as they passed through the Uchiha neighborhood, his rush to get here, and his confrontation with the ninja he'd killed, did not bother to hold his tongue or dampen his chakra.

"What did you want me to do, leave Naruto here to die while I went to look for you myself? I don't even know where you live," Sasuke said.

"Easy," Jiraiya said and put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke moved to get the hand off of him, but Jiraiya held him in place.

A pop beside Sasuke drew everyone's attention as the snake he'd sent after Tsunade returned. It crawled its way to Sasuke and slithered up his leg until its head was resting against Sasuke's hip.

"That's creepy," Jiraiya muttered under his breath, but Sasuke heard him perfectly well.

"The snake's venom delays the poison, but only for a little bit. You'll need a sample of it for the antidote," Sasuke said.

"Shizune," was all Tsunade said, and her assistant moved forward to take the snake from Sasuke and take it back to where she'd put all her equipment.

"Cooperate with her," Sasuke told the snake as he let it slither onto Shizune's arm. The snake hissed once, causing Shizune to gasp.

"These people are pathetic," the snake said. "I don't know why you bother with them, Sasuke."

Sasuke ignored the snake and turned instead to Jiraiya. "You can let go of me now. I'm not going to attack the Hokage."

"You're radiating plenty of killing intent and I don't want to take any chances," Jiraiya replied.

"You're being stupid, Jiraiya," Sasuke insisted. "What good can it possibly do me to kill the Hokage?"

Jiraiya ignored him.

"Sasuke, would you mind telling me why I was awakened in the middle of the night by a snake that demanded I get to Naruto as soon as possible?" Tsunade asked, not taking her eyes off Naruto.

"Three ninja from Kirigakure were sent here to kill Naruto," Sasuke began. "I felt their presence as they were making their way out of the Uchiha neighborhood. I didn't want to waste time so I sent the snake to Naruto, because I knew it'd help. When I got here, Naruto had already killed one ninja, injured another, and was in the process of disabling the third. He'd already been exposed to the poison and it rendered him immobile for a moment. I had to kill the ninja he'd been fighting so that the man wouldn't kill Naruto. I knocked the other ninja out, so you'll be able to interrogate him. You should do it fast, before he kills himself."

"Kills himself?" Tsunade asked.

Sasuke nodded. "That's what they're instructed to do if they're captured."

"How do they kill themselves?" Jiraiya asked.

"Poison," Sasuke replied. "It's injected into their veins before they leave on their mission and is activated through a special set of seals."

"So we can keep him from activating it if we keep him from forming seals?" Jiraiya asked.

Sasuke shrugged. "That would be my assumption."

The room fell into silence, except for the sound of Shizune leafing through her books and scrolls.

"Poison alone isn't enough to work on Naruto, because the fox's chakra immediately counters it," Jiraiya said as if suddenly remembering that fact.

"Orochimaru had this poison made especially for Naruto and gave it to Kirigakure for them to use against Konoha."

"You knew that Kirigakure was planning to attack Konoha and yet you didn't warn us?" Jiraiya asked, turning Sasuke around so that they faced each other.

"When I walked into the apartment, that ninja," Sasuke pointed at the unconscious man, "thought I was Orochimaru, and that made him very talkative. The conversation triggered the memory of Orochimaru's visit to Kirigakure. Despite what most of the people of this village, including those in this apartment, believe, I was not privy to Orochimaru's every scheme," Sasuke added, unable to completely keep the bitterness out of his voice.

Shizune broke the tension between the two men when she stepped in front of Sasuke and handed him back the snake.

"I've done what I can here, but I need to go back to my lab to do the rest."

They were interrupted as the three ANBU that had been assigned to Sasuke stepped into the room.

"Where were you three?" Tsunade asked as she turned to face them. "Weren't you supposed to be tailing Uchiha?"

The ANBU closest to the Hokage bowed. "I'm sorry, Hokage, but we didn't detect him when he left the house. By the time we realized he'd left, we knew where he'd gone and came straight here."

Tsunade turned furious eyes to Sasuke, who merely shrugged. "I didn't want the foreign ninja to sense my chakra," he said. If the ANBU were too stupid to do their jobs, it certainly wasn't his fault.

"I'll deal with you three later," she said to the ANBU and then picked up Naruto. "For now, there are two dead ninja and one that needs to be taken to be interrogated. Make sure to bind his hands so he can't form any seals," the Hokage added as she pointed to the unconscious man. "Jiraiya, pick up Shizune's equipment and bring it with you. Sasuke, go home. I'll send more ANBU to replace these three."

Sasuke shook his head. "I'm going with you," he said.

"You've already provided me with the information I need. If you come with us, you'd only be in the way," Tsunade said.

"I'm not going to leave him," Sasuke insisted.

Tsunade glared at him for almost a minute, before she sighed in resignation.

"Fine, but stay out of the way or I'll have Jiraiya drag you home," she said, and they left the apartment together.

Sasuke was halfway to the hospital when a thought occurred to him and he stopped, letting the three elder ninja leave him behind. Sakura would want to know what happened. Sasuke didn't know where she lived, but he was pretty sure that he could find her chakra if he concentrated enough. He made his way to where she used to live and started the search from there. A few minutes later, he was standing in front of a modest house located very close to her former home. He hopped onto the roof and walked towards the back, where her chakra was strongest. He jumped down onto a balcony and knocked on the sliding glass door.

The curtains over the door were drawn, so he couldn't see inside, but he felt the spike in her chakra when she woke up and heard her footsteps as she came to the door.

"Sasuke, what are you doing here?" she asked.

She'd been sleeping, as evident by her messy hair and the red nightgown she wore. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and then pierced him with a concerned look.

"Naruto was attacked in his apartment earlier tonight," Sasuke said without preamble. "The Hokage has taken him to the hospital."

Sakura's eyes widened fearfully. "What happened?" she asked. "Is he okay?"

"I'll tell you on the way," Sasuke replied. "I'll wait by the front door while you get dressed."

Sakura nodded and Sasuke jumped off the balcony and walked to the front of the house. He didn't have to wait long for Sakura to come out of the house fully dressed. They took to the roofs and by the time they got to the hospital, Sasuke had filled her in.

"Where is Shizune's lab?" Sasuke asked. "I'm fairly sure that's where they took Naruto."

"Follow me," Sakura said and led Sasuke to the top floor, to an area that was blocked off from the rest of the hospital and guarded. The guards on duty waved them in, apparently expecting them.

"This poison, you said that it's attacking Naruto's chakra pathways?" Sakura asked as they rounded a corner.

"Yes, it's the only way to effectively poison him." Sasuke said.

Sakura shook her head and Sasuke could see tears in her eyes. "Why?" she asked no one in particular. "Why Naruto?"

"He's powerful and they know it," Sasuke answered her anyway.

They reached the door at the end of the hallway and Sakura held the door open for him to enter first. Inside was another set of doors, which Sakura also held open for him.

"Naruto is probably in there," Sakura said, pointing to a door to his left. "Shizune's lab is over there," she added, pointing to a door on his right. "I'm going to see if I can help Shizune."

Sasuke nodded and watched Sakura go. Once the door had closed behind her, he made his way to the other room. Inside, he found Naruto lying on the floor, on his stomach, surrounded by seals, a lot of which Sasuke couldn't make sense of. Tsunade sat with Naruto in front of her. Her hands, which she held above Naruto, bathed him in a green glow, and Sasuke could see Naruto's body still trembling and his face would twist in pain every once in a while. The wound on Naruto's back was still open, leaving the floor underneath him red with blood.

"Why won't the wound close?" Sasuke asked as he made his way towards the Hokage.

"Naruto's chakra pathways are out of control," Tsunade said. "The fox's chakra, which would normally induce Naruto's cells to multiply faster in order to close and heal the wound, is having the opposite effect and is keeping Naruto's body from healing the wound. I can't even force it closed with my chakra."

Sasuke had only known the Hokage for a short period of time and could not remember ever having seen her as frightened as he saw her now. Unbidden, an image of a much younger Tsunade, drenched after coming in from the rain, tears streaming down her face as she looked down at the body of what had been her little brother, while Jiraiya tried his best to comfort her, came into Sasuke's mind. Sound followed the image, and he could hear Orochimaru telling her that they were at war, and that death was inevitable for a ninja.

"Uchiha, are you okay?"

The Hokage's question thankfully pulled Sasuke away from the memory.

"I brought Sakura," Sasuke said in answer to the Hokage's question, "she's with Shizune."

Tsunade nodded. "Good. She'll be a big help."

"Is there anything I can do?" Sasuke asked.

Tsunade glanced up at him. Their eyes met for a long moment as Tsunade apparently judged his motives. "You can lend me your chakra," she finally said. "I'm going to need a lot more than I have to keep Naruto from bleeding to death."

Sasuke nodded and made his way to sit on Naruto's other side. "Just tell me what to do."

**&&&&**

There you have it. Stay tuned for the next, exciting chapter, and don't forget to leave a review on your way out!


	8. Politics

Greetings!

No, you're not seeing things; this really is the next chapter. It's hard to believe, I know, but cliffhangers make me want to write the next chapter as much as they make you want to read it, so here it is.

**Reviews**: Thank you as always to everyone that leaves a review. My muse really appreciates the sustenance.

**Warnings**: I forgot to put up a warning for the last chapter, so forgive me for that. This chapter is fairly warning-free.

As always, enjoy!

Posted: 5/17/07

**&&&&**

**Chapter 8: Politics**

Shikamaru was pulled from a very relaxing sleep when he felt a trace of chakra very near him. He was out of bed in seconds, immediately alert and searching for the owner of the chakra. After a few minutes of concentrating on his surroundings, Shikamaru didn't feel anything else out of the ordinary, nor could he hear or see anyone attempting to get into his apartment. There was something familiar about the chakra he'd felt, and Shikamaru realized with a start that the man it belonged to was probably not in his vicinity. Naruto didn't make it a habit to make late night visits, and on the rare occasion that he needed to talk to Shikamaru badly enough that it required an unexpected visit, the blonde would announce himself with a knock on the window, not with his chakra. Something was wrong if Naruto was projecting his chakra enough to reach him, and Shikamaru was not about to wait around until morning to find out.

He was dressed and racing towards Naruto's apartment in minutes. He had almost reached it when Shikamaru felt four chakra signatures heading in the opposite direction. He stopped and concentrated on the signatures, his shoulders tense and hands close to his weapons pouch in case the chakra belonged to intruders. Shikamaru relaxed slightly, but not completely, when he realized that the chakra belonged to Konoha citizens. The first one he made out was the Hokage's normally soothing chakra. She was agitated about something, but Shikamaru wasn't about to stop her and ask what it was. Once he had recognized the Hokage, Shizune's similar chakra signature made itself clear to the young man. Jiraiya's chakra came next, strong and steady, as it always was. The fourth was a bit harder for Shikamaru to distinguish. It was familiar, strong and wild like fire, but was tainted with something darker and more sinister. Shuddering, Shikamaru realized that it was Sasuke's chakra. He couldn't feel Naruto's chakra among them, however. If they'd just come from Naruto's apartment, then they'd left the blonde behind.

Shikamaru resumed his run and reached the small apartment moments later. The front door had been kicked down, and Shikamaru could feel three of his fellow ANBU already inside the apartment. He still didn't feel Naruto's chakra, however, which further confused the young man. If Naruto wasn't with the Hokage and he wasn't at his apartment, where was he? Shikamaru had a bad feeling that he wasn't going to like the answer.

"You're out of uniform," one of the ANBU, who Shikamaru recognized as a relatively new member, said to him as he stepped into the living room.

"I didn't come in an official capacity," Shikamaru replied. "I came to see why my friend was distressed."

"I don't know why you bother," the man said.

Shikamaru could almost feel the sneer on the ANBU's face, though he couldn't see it under the mask. Not everyone thought that Naruto should have friends, much less friends in high places, which led to jealousy and hatred. Shikamaru had learned early on in their friendship that if Naruto didn't care, or could let it go, then he should do the same, so as much as he'd like to bash heads every time he heard a rude comment, Shikamaru refrained and just ignored them.

"What happened?" Shikamaru asked the man. Even if he was out of uniform, Shikamaru still outranked him.

"We got here after it was all over, but apparently three ninja from Kirigakure broke into Uzumaki's apartment and tried to kill him," the man said. "The Hokage didn't tell us much more than that."

"What?" Shikamaru said before he could stop himself. That was not what he expected to hear. Kirigakure's plan to invade Konoha was just a rumor, wasn't it?

"Uzumaki and Uchiha had killed two of the ninja by the time we arrived. The only one that was left alive is right over there," the man added and pointed behind him, where Shikamaru could now see the ninja, his forehead protector clearly identifying him as a ninja from Kirigakure. The black cloak hid a lot of the man's injuries, but Shikamaru's trained eye could easily see the darker patches where blood had seeped into the coat.

"Where is Naruto?" Shikamaru asked, already dreading the answer. One did not come to a friend's apartment in the middle of the night to find two dead and one unconscious ninja and expect to get good news.

"He looked pretty bad when the Hokage left here with him," the man replied.

"But…" Shikamaru caught himself before he voiced the thought.

He hadn't felt Naruto's chakra when he felt the Hokage's. Naruto had such unique chakra, and in such a great amount, that he couldn't have missed it, especially if Naruto was injured and wasn't consciously controlling it. He'd felt Naruto's chakra all the way to his apartment, so why hadn't Shikamaru been able to feel it when he'd been mere meters away? Did that mean that Naruto was dead?"

"I don't think he was dead," said another ANBU, and Shikamaru turned to see the man standing at the door to Naruto's bedroom, unnerved that his thoughts were so transparent. "The Hokage was pretty eager to get him back to the hospital."

"What are your orders?" Shikamaru asked.

"We're supposed to take the dead bodies to the morgue, and take the one that's still alive to be interrogated," the same man answered.

"Then do so," Shikamaru said, his voice harsher than he'd intended. "You don't need to be loitering in the apartment."

The ANBU lowered his head a fraction in acknowledgement and gave the other two quick orders on how to carry the ninja out of the apartment. In minutes, they were gone, leaving Shikamaru alone in the mess that was Naruto's apartment.

"Ninja from Kirigakure," Shikamaru said to himself, "that can only mean trouble."

He entered Naruto's bedroom first and immediately noticed the dresser that had been blown up. It was a small miracle that the explosion hadn't caught the entire place on fire. On the wall opposite the dresser, Shikamaru could see streaks of blood where a body had hit and then slid down the wall. Blood had pooled, and then congealed, on the floor where the ninja had landed.

A glint on the floor, underneath a bloody comforter, caught Shikamaru's eye. It was caught on the bedding, and it took Shikamaru a bit to work it free. When he'd managed, he was left holding Naruto's sword. Shikamaru's lips quirked up into a small smile as he remembered the look on Naruto's face when Jiraiya had presented him with it. It had belonged to the Fourth Hokage, and Jiraiya had said that he felt Naruto was ready to both care for and handle it. Naruto's face had flushed in embarrassment at the compliment, before he'd sheepishly admitted that he knew very little about sword fighting. An argument between Jiraiya and Naruto had ensued, with Jiraiya arguing that every ninja should know how to handle a sword, and Naruto arguing that since Jiraiya had given him the sword, he should be the one to give lessons as well. In the end, Naruto had won and Jiraiya had spent a couple of months training Naruto on how to use his new gift.

The smile dropped from Shikamaru's lips as the memory faded and reality crashed in around him again. He looked around the floor until he found the sheath. He pulled it out from under the bed and sheathed the sword, before working it through his belt. The apartment was ruined, and would undoubtedly be visited by investigators, and Shikamaru didn't want to leave the sword around where it could be stolen. He'd keep it until Naruto was ready to wield it again.

He left the bedroom and found more bloodstains on the living room floor, and then the wall in the kitchen. The couch was covered in blood as well, and Shikamaru had a feeling that most of that was Naruto's. He suddenly felt nauseated and had to fight the urge to vomit. He felt a presence behind him and stiffened, ready for more snide comments from other ninja, until he realized that this visitor was another of Naruto's friends.

"I was on my way home after my watch when I saw the Hokage hurrying towards the hospital with Naruto in her arms," Lee said. "For a second, I thought Naruto was dead, because I couldn't feel his chakra. Then I heard the Hokage saying that she'd do what she could for him, so I knew that he was still alive. Since I couldn't ask her what happened, I came here."

Shikamaru turned to the jounin, who was looking around the apartment in both awe and disgust. "I couldn't sense Naruto's chakra either when I passed them on my way here. If he's still alive, wouldn't we feel it?"

Lee shrugged. "I don't know. He's in good hands if he's with the Hokage."

Shikamaru nodded.

"Who did it?" Lee asked as he walked fully into the apartment and came to stand next to Shikamaru. "Why Naruto?"

"Kirigakure," Shikamaru said. "I saw the three ninja that did all of this, before the ANBU took them. Naruto and Uchiha killed two of them and left one alive."

"Uchiha?" Lee asked, surprised.

"I don't know what he was doing here or how he knew to come, but I felt him leaving with the Hokage. I can still feel his chakra here."

Lee concentrated and then shuddered slightly. "Yes, I feel it too. It's not what it used to be."

"Orochimaru tainted it," Shikamaru said. "It feels more like Orochimaru's chakra now instead of Sasuke's."

Both men lapsed into silence, until Shikamaru walked to the nearest wall and punched a whole in it.

"I've heard rumors about Kirigakure," he said as he pulled his bleeding hand out of the plaster. "Naruto and I sat right here and discussed it over sake a few days ago, but I didn't think that they'd come after Naruto first."

"Why would they be interested in eliminating Naruto?" Lee asked.

"They're planning on invading Konoha. At least that's what the rumors are," Shikamaru replied.

"Kirigakure isn't powerful enough to take on Konohagakure," Lee pointed out.

Shikamaru turned towards Lee. "They have an alliance with Otogakure. They think that will give them the extra power to make up the difference."

"But Otogakure has been defeated," Lee said. "Uchiha is all that remains, and I doubt he's going to help them."

Shikamaru laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. "I don't think they know about Otogakure yet. Even so, they apparently have something that we don't know about. How else could they have managed to get three ninja deep enough past our defenses to sneak up on Naruto and injure him badly enough to have caused all of that," Shikamaru pointed to the bloody couch, "and to require that the Hokage herself carry him to the hospital?"

Lee's face paled. "What do they have to gain?"

"I don't know. Nothing about this makes sense. Unless…" Shikamaru trailed off as his mind started putting pieces together, pieces that he'd previously discarded as inconsequential.

"Unless?" Lee prodded.

"Unless someone else is, or was, pulling the strings." Shikamaru answered.

"Who?" Lee asked, and then snapped his fingers as the answer came to him. "Orochimaru!"

"It has to be," Shikamaru said. "Kirigakure has no clue that Orochimaru is dead."

"If that's the case, then Uchiha has to know something," Lee said.

"Then we should go find him, shouldn't we?" Shikamaru said. "I felt his chakra with the Hokage's earlier," he added. "I'm sure she would have already talked to him."

"Not if she hasn't realized that Orochimaru was involved," Lee said as he left the apartment, Shikamaru close behind him. "I doubt Uchiha would volunteer that kind of information."

"He shouldn't be hard to find, unless he's trying to hide," Shikamaru said. "His chakra is very distinctive."

Lee nodded. "Then let's hope he's not trying to hide."

**&&&&**

Tsunade had been clenching her jaw so hard and for so long that it now hurt to unclench it. The pain was minor, however, compared to the overwhelming exhaustion that threatened to pull her into unconsciousness. She had very little chakra left and her body ached from maintaining one position for too long. In front of her, Naruto's wound had almost closed. There was only a small part of it that was still open and bleeding slightly, but there was no longer the risk that Naruto would bleed to death. Sasuke sat on Naruto's other side, performing the Mystical Palm Technique that Tsunade had been forced to teach him when she'd started to lose too much of her chakra. She'd only taught him one part of the technique, the part that uses a large amount of chakra to speed up cell regeneration on the area of the body being healed, but she had no doubt that Sasuke would be able to figure out the second part on his own, the part that focuses chakra into a knife and could be used to both heal or destroy. She'd given him a potential weapon, but it had been a risk she had to take.

Sasuke had learned the technique quickly and performed it admirably. The Hokage had expected no less from a ninja as gifted as the Uchiha prodigy was, which made Tsunade wonder where Sasuke would have ended up in the hierarchy of Konoha ninja had he chosen not to pursue power and leave Konoha. The boy would have no doubt already reached jounin, maybe even ANBU if he'd chosen that route. It was a shame that his actions now restricted his possibilities and the most he could hope for was the life of a civilian. So much talent wasted.

Tsunade shook herself out of her musings. They were almost finished and she couldn't afford to lose her focus now. Having Sasuke speed up the generation of cells had freed her to concentrate on the wound itself, and she'd methodically forced the wound to close. The precision required for such an exacting task had taken its toll, and she was about to reach her limit.

"It's almost closed," Tsunade said and spared a glance at her unlikely apprentice.

Sasuke's intense, dark gaze was focused on the technique he was performing. He was so focused on the task that he hadn't bothered to mask his emotions, and Tsunade had been able to see the young man's concern and determination in his dark eyes. There was also a vulnerability there that went against the usual mask of indifference the young man liked to project. She was the village's Hokage, and as such had dealt with the Uchiha's betrayal as she deemed fit. However, she was also a kind woman, and as such could not ignore the circumstances that had led the young man to follow the path he'd chosen.

"How are you doing on chakra?" Tsunade asked.

Sasuke looked up. His eyes were dull, unfocused, and the lids were half closed. He blinked a few times and, after a moment, was finally able to focus on her.

"I'm fine," he said, his voice barely loud enough to be heard. "I can keep doing this for a little longer."

Tsunade nodded and got back to her work. She didn't believe that he was fine, but they both had to keep going for a little while longer. A few minutes later, the wound was finally closed. It would very likely leave a scar, which bothered her a lot more than it should have. She ended what she was doing and turned to perform a diagnostic on Sasuke. He was so focused on Naruto that he didn't notice that she'd stopped until a few moments after.

"What are you doing?" he asked when he saw her hands hovering above his head.

"It's just a diagnostic. I need to know how much chakra you've used. Bear with me for a moment, please."

He turned his attention back to Naruto, which she took as permission to continue. The diagnosis told her that in addition to being exhausted, Sasuke was also dehydrated and slightly malnourished. His body temperature was elevated and his chakra pathways were slightly out of sync. Sasuke had lost quite a bit of weight since she'd first diagnosed him, and Tsunade had no doubt that the exhaustion she was picking up was not solely related to tonight's activities.

Sasuke's body and mind were both still adjusting to the loss of Orochimaru's presence, which was something she'd known would happen since the night Jiraiya had brought the boys back. The body had been forced to change in order to host Orochimaru, and now that the snake's presence was gone, it was being forced to adapt once again. If she had to diagnose the situation, Tsunade would say that Sasuke's mind and body were going through a kind of withdrawal. The diagnostic she was performing had just told her the physical toll of the withdrawal, but she could only imagine what the psychological toll would be.

Sighing, Tsunade resumed her diagnostic, knowing that even if she wanted to help Sasuke deal with the psychological symptoms, he wouldn't let her. She made it a point to talk to Kakashi and inform him of what was going on. Maybe Sasuke would accept help from him.

"You can stop now, Sasuke," Tsunade said as she stopped the diagnostic technique on him. "Your chakra reserves are down to twenty five percent. Any lower and it'll be too risky. Besides, we've done what we can."

Sasuke disengaged the technique and let his hands fall down to his lap. He blinked a few times and then rubbed his eyes. He clenched his right hand into a fist and after a while, Tsunade could see blood leaking out from between his fingers. When she looked at him again, he looked a lot more alert.

"Don't do that," Tsunade chided. "You're already on the brink of exhaustion; I don't need you suffering from blood loss too."

Sasuke wiped the blood on his pants and said nothing. When Tsunade took his hand to heal it, he pulled it away from her.

"Leave it," he said.

Tsunade pierced him with a look, but it did not intimidate Sasuke as she'd intended. She sighed again and then looked down at Naruto.

"As soon as Shizune and Sakura find an antidote, he'll be back to normal," she said, but she wasn't sure if the words were meant to comfort her or Sasuke. "Thank you, Sasuke," Tsunade added. "I wouldn't have been able to do this without your help."

Sasuke locked eyes with her for only a moment, but it was long enough for her to see his mask slipping back into place. "I owe him," Sasuke replied and looked away.

She nodded at the statement, although she was sure that Sasuke hadn't just been repaying a debt when he'd sent a summon to help Naruto, or when he'd gone to help Naruto himself.

They lapsed into silence, and Tsunade jumped when the door slammed open.

"We have it!" Sakura said as she burst into the room. "Can you bring Naruto to one of the examination rooms?"

Tsunade quickly picked Naruto up and left the room with Sasuke following behind. Sakura held the outer door to the lab open as well, and Tsunade made her way to the closest examination room. Sasuke held open the door for her this time, and as she walked into the room, Tsunade was surprised to see that the dawn was slowly approaching. No wonder she was so exhausted. She and Sasuke had spent at least 6 hours with Naruto. Shaking the thought aside, she placed Naruto on the bed closest to the door.

Shizune came in shortly after holding a syringe. Both Sakura and Shizune looked as tired and haggard as Tsunade felt. Even in their exhaustion, however, they both looked very pleased with their success.

"Was that all you were able to make?" Tsunade asked, eyeing the small amount of antidote in the syringe.

"In this short span of time, yes," Shizune answered. "I still have the sword and some of the snake's venom, so it shouldn't be a problem to make another batch of the antidote."

"Good," Tsunade said. "I don't want to be caught off guard like this again."

Shizune turned Naruto's arm so that it was lying palm up and gently inserted the syringe into the crook of his elbow, where the veins were more visible. She depressed the plunger and sent the antidote into Naruto's bloodstream.

"How long will it take?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura turned to him. "We don't know. It could be hours or days. It depends on how much damage was done since he was initially poisoned."

"The crisis is over and all we can do now is wait," Tsunade said. "Sakura and Sasuke, both of you go home and rest."

She got the expected response as both teenagers shook their heads.

"I'm staying."

"I'm not leaving him."

Tsunade glared at them, but neither backed down. Sakura was too used to the glare for it to frighten her, and Tsunade had a feeling that, after being with Orochimaru for as long as he was, there was little that intimidated Sasuke anymore.

"Fine," Tsunade said, seeing no point in arguing or making them leave, since they'd end up back here anyway. "There are two other beds in this room. Use them to get some rest. I'll assign a couple of guards to this room until Naruto wakes up."

Tsunade put her hands on her hips and watched the teenagers until they each lay down on a bed. She had a feeling that they weren't going to sleep, but she'd at least given them the opportunity.

"I need to go talk to the ANBU and the council. Let me know immediately if Naruto wakes up."

Sakura and Sasuke nodded, and Shizune left the room with her. Tsunade hadn't taken two steps when a chunin guard came up to her.

"There are two jounin that wish to speak to you, Hokage-sama," he said and Tsunade recognized him as the one on duty when they'd come up to the lab.

"Where are they?" Tsunade asked and the man pointed to the small office beside the guard's station.

When Tsunade reached it, she was surprised to find Nara Shikamaru and Rock Lee, neither of which was in uniform, waiting for her. They got up and bowed formally when she entered.

"What are you two doing here?" Tsunade said. She was thinking of how to tell them about what had happened to Naruto, when she noticed that Shikamaru was wearing Naruto's sword. "You already know, don't you?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes, Hokage," Shikamaru said. "We've both already been to Naruto's apartment. The ANBU that were there told me what happened and we wanted to talk to you about it."

Tsunade motioned for them to re-take their seats, while she leaned on the small desk and crossed her arms.

"How is Naruto?" Lee asked.

"He's unconscious. He was poisoned, but Shizune and Sakura were able to come up with an antidote for the poison. It's been administered, so now it's just a waiting game."

"We'd like your permission to talk to Uchiha Sasuke," Shikamaru said.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the request. "You don't have to ask my permission to do that," she said, wondering what had prompted Shikamaru to ask. "You can talk to him whenever you want."

"You don't understand, Hokage. We think Orochimaru was involved in what happened today," Shikamaru said, "and we think Uchiha might know about it."

Tsunade couldn't help but be impressed, once again, with the jounin's sharp mind. There was a reason Shikamaru was an ANBU captain.

"So you want to question him, not just talk to him," she said and Shikamaru nodded. "You'd be wasting your time," Tsunade continued. "Uchiha has already told me all he knows." Tsunade paused, wondering how much she should say, but then figured that as Naruto's friends, the two young men should know the few details she had. "You are right, Orochimaru was involved. The poison Naruto was given was made specifically for him on Orochimaru's order. Apparently, Otogakure and Kirigakure were conspiring against Konoha, but I don't think Kirigakure knows that Orochimaru is dead."

Both Shikamaru and Lee looked surprised that she already knew so much. They'd apparently thought that they'd have to force the information out of Sasuke.

"I thank you for your vigilance and concern for your friend," Tsunade said, "but I think Uchiha has already told us everything he knows. You can feel free to talk to him if you still want. He's down the hall in Naruto's room with Sakura. Shizune can take you there."

"We'd like to see Naruto," Lee said.

Tsunade straightened. "Don't stay too long, though. Sakura and Sasuke are both exhausted and need to rest."

She motioned to Shizune, and the woman took the two young men down the hall. Tsunade waited for a moment before steeling herself. She had to go talk to the council.

**&&&&**

Utatane Koharu did not like to be kept waiting. She made her displeasure known by pacing the length of the council chamber, even though there was only one other person in the room with her.

"You're letting her get to you, as you always do, Koharu," Mitokado Homura said from where he sat in his usual seat to the right of hers. "Take your seat and calm down."

"Tsunade should have made a report to us immediately after the altercation and left the Uzumaki boy with someone else," she said. "I shouldn't have had to find out about it from a conversation I overheard between two jounin. When I questioned them, they knew very little, but it was enough to outline the danger of the situation we find ourselves in. If I hadn't been awake to overhear the conversation, we probably still wouldn't know that enemy ninja had infiltrated the village."

She turned to Homura, whom she'd known for most of her life, ever since she'd been assigned to a genin team with him and Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage. "Surely you see the break in decorum in this?" she asked.

Homura sighed. "We knew what we were getting ourselves into when we agreed with Jiraiya's suggestion to make Tsunade the Hokage instead," he said in that same calm voice that had driven Koharu mad since they'd been genin. "It's the price we paid for having to fill the position so quickly." The man smiled. "Jiraiya would have been worse."

Koharu took a deep breath and took her seat. "Yes, you're probably right," she admitted as she looked around the council chamber. She hadn't felt the need to call the other members of the council this early, since the situation was under control. She and Homura would be enough for what she would ask Tsunade to do once the Hokage finally decided to grace them with her presence.

"That boy has always been trouble," Koharu said, returning to her first complaint about the reason for Tsunade's tardiness, and she could tell by the narrowing of Homura's eyes that she didn't have to elaborate about who she meant. "I don't know why Tsunade favors him so much. If we could keep a tighter leash on him, he'd be useful to us. As he is, he's too unpredictable and brings us more trouble than any other ninja in the village."

"It can't be helped. We have to keep him here, where we can at least watch him and direct what he does," Homura said. "What he carries is too dangerous to be kept anywhere else."

Koharu sighed. "If Sarutobi had taken our advice and gotten rid of the child at the beginning, this village would not have been subjected to some of the dangers that boy has brought to it."

"The Uchiha traitor being the latest in that list," Homura pointed out.

Koharu felt her blood go cold at the mention of that now hated name. "If it had been up to the two of us, Uchiha Sasuke would have been executed the moment he'd stepped foot inside the village. Uzumaki Naruto's actions would have been grounds to execute him as well."

Homura nodded his agreement, before his face hardened. "Unfortunately, there are six members of the council, and, at the time, a majority voted not to execute the traitor, which was what Tsunade wanted. This time, however, Tsunade doesn't have a way out, and she's not going to like what you're going to tell her to do."

"No, I don't suppose she is. She was against the idea the first time we mentioned it, but we now have a valid, security reason to have it done. She can't refuse this time."

The door to the council chamber opened and an out of breath and slightly worse for wear Tsunade walked into the room. She came to stand before them and bowed deeply.

"I apologize for my tardiness Utatane-san, Mitokado-san. There were other matters I had to attend to first."

"The Uzumaki boy?" Homura asked.

"Yes," Tsunade said. "He was poisoned and it took a good deal of work to counteract the poison. He's recovering now."

"Good to hear it," Koharu said with no trace of sincerity in her voice. "Now, would you care to tell us what happened, or do we have to rely on a conversation I had with a couple of jounin?"

"Who?" Tsunade asked.

"Nara Shikamaru and Rock Lee. They were looking for the Uchiha traitor because they thought he might know more about the ninja from Kirigakure that tried to kill Uzumaki Naruto," Koharu said, making no effort to hide her displeasure. "Surely, as Hokage, you would have been a better source of information. Don't you agree, Tsunade?"

Tsunade's face hardened and she, too, made no effort to hide her displeasure at the older woman's words. "Forgive me, Utatane-san, but I was busy making sure that Uzumaki Naruto would stay alive and could not get away to bring you the report earlier."

Koharu's jaw tightened as she stared at the much taller woman, who stared right back. Tsunade was not going to back down, but neither was she. Her authority was above the Hokage's, especially in cases where the village's security was involved, and she would not tolerate insubordination.

"Ladies," Homura intervened. "Perhaps we should get down to the report?"

"Where are the other council members?" Tsunade asked. "Should we not wait for them?"

"They weren't called to this meting," Homura said. "We will fill them in later today."

Tsunade looked from one to the other, and then nodded. She gave her report quickly, and when she was finished, Koharu was even more concerned.

"We need to take action now, while Kirigakure still doesn't know that Otogakure no longer exists and that Orochimaru is dead," Homura said. "Send out scouts to find out exactly where their army is. They are to be reconnaissance only for now. We need to know exactly how many there are and where they're coming from before we can formulate our own plan of attack."

"Yes, sir," Tsunade said.

She turned to leave, but stopped when Koharu spoke.

"There's one more thing, Tsunade."

Tsunade turned and regarded her with a look that told the elder woman that she already knew she wasn't going to like what Koharu said.

"We want the ANBU Interrogation Force to interrogate Uchiha as soon as possible."

It took Tsunade a few moments to react to that. "What?" she finally said, "Uchiha is one of our own. We don't subject our ninja to the Interrogation Force."

"He's not one of our own," Homura pointed out. "He betrayed the village and chose to ally himself with Orochimaru. We know that Orochimaru was involved in what happened last night and there is no one better to give us information than Uchiha."

"You can't do that," Tsunade insisted. "He just spent the last six hours helping me keep Naruto alive. He's exhausted and has used up most of his chakra. If you subject him to an interrogation now, it might kill him."

Homura stood up. He wasn't as tall as Tsunade, but his presence alone was enough to make Tsunade flinch at her outburst.

"If he's already weakened, then he'll be less able to resist the interrogation, and therefore provide us with more information, don't you think?" he asked.

"He's told me all he knows about Orochimaru's plans," Tsunade said. "I've already told you that."

"You believe him?" Homura asked.

"Yes," Tsunade said with little hesitation, which made Koharu a little weary of the trust the Hokage was putting in a known traitor. "He has no reason to lie."

"Then you shouldn't be worried about the interrogation," Koharu said. "If he's not lying and he's told us all he knows, the results will tell us that."

Tsunade looked from Koharu to Homura, and Koharu could see the disbelief and disgust in her eyes. Tsunade would do as she was told, however. She had fought, and won, the case against having Uchiha interrogated when he'd first come back to the village. This time, however, there was a very good reason to get as much information from him as possible and not even Tsunade's friends among the council would disagree.

"We expect the report from Uchiha's interrogation as soon as it's done," Homura said.

Tsunade bowed stiffly and left the room, letting the door slam shut behind her.

**&&&&**

"I can feel his chakra again," Sakura said as she finished her diagnostic of Naruto. "That's a good sign, since we weren't feeling it before."

She ran her left hand over Naruto's hair and then rested it on his forehead. He'd looked so bad when she'd first seen him and it had scared her to think that while she'd been sleeping peacefully, he'd been fighting for his life. Never had finding an antidote meant so much to her and she'd thrown herself fully into the task. Time ceased to exist, and minutes had turned into hours. Failure wasn't an option in this case, and that knowledge had kept her going when she thought she couldn't go anymore. When they'd found the antidote and she'd gone charging into the room where Naruto was, Sakura had been afraid that she'd get there to find that Naruto had died. That had not been the case, and she was grateful that they'd been given a chance to make it better. All Naruto had to do now was wake up and recover, and things would be okay again.

She let her hand move off the forehead and land on Naruto's left cheek. It was warm, but not as hot as it had been when they'd first brought him in. Sakura smiled slightly and then removed her hand. He was no longer running a fever, which was also a good sign. She looked away from Naruto and directed her gaze at the unexpectedly crowded room. Sasuke sat on the bed closest to the window and had his head turned towards the rising sun. Shikamaru and Lee, who had been brought in by Shizune, sat on two chairs they'd pulled in from another room. They were facing Naruto's bed and were pointedly ignoring Sasuke.

Shikamaru and Lee had insisted on questioning Sasuke about what happened to Naruto shortly after Shizune had left them and they'd made sure that Naruto was okay, which Sasuke hadn't taken lightly. He'd refused to answer any questions, saying only that the Hokage knew what she needed to know. That had irritated Shikamaru, which had led to harsh words being exchanged between the two. In the end, Lee had calmed Shikamaru while Sasuke had simply ignored everyone in the room. The fact that Sasuke hadn't simply jumped out the window and gone back home told Sakura that the young man was feeling a lot more drained than he let on.

"Naruto's chakra feels strange, though," Shikamaru said, responding to Sakura's earlier statement. "It's very erratic."

Sakura nodded. "The poison was intended to damage his chakra pathways specifically, and since the antidote hasn't had time to complete its work yet, the pathways are still fairly damaged. With time, it should get better."

"Why target Naruto?" Lee asked. "He's a very powerful ninja, no one doubts that, but why risk your entire plan to kill one ninja?"

Sakura looked at Lee, but Lee was staring at the back of Sasuke's head. When Sakura turned her attention to Shikamaru, she found his gaze on her. He nodded slightly, and with that nod she realized that Shikamaru also knew about the demon sealed inside Naruto.

_He told me_, Shikamaru mouthed in response to Sakura's silent question.

"I don't know, Lee. It doesn't make sense," Sakura said, returning her attention to Lee. "One of the ninja was left alive, so hopefully he can provide answers when he's interrogated."

Sakura's senses suddenly picked up her teacher's agitated chakra and, moments later, Tsunade was standing at the door flanked by two ANBU.

"Uchiha, come with me," Tsunade said without preamble, her eyes focused solely on Sasuke.

The Hokage's voice was calm, but Sakura had been around her long enough to know that Tsunade was furious. Sakura heard movement from behind her and she turned to see that Sasuke had gotten to his feet.

"Where are we going, Hokage-sama?" Sasuke asked, voice calm, but posture tense.

Tsunade clenched her jaw before replying. "The council has ordered that you be interrogated. You have information about what happened last night and we need to know what you know."

Sasuke's hands clenched into fists. "I've already told you what I know," he said, his eyes fixed on Tsunade. "Was that not good enough?"

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be, Uchiha," Tsunade said.

Sakura looked from one to the other, and then her eyes shifted to Shikamaru and Lee. They'd come here to question Sasuke as well, which meant that they, too, suspected him. Had they told the Hokage, or members of the council, that Sasuke knew more than he was telling them? The Hokage hadn't given her an indication that she doubted Sasuke when they'd spoken earlier, so what had changed? Shikamaru must have sensed her gaze on him, because he turned to her, and she could see that he was as surprised by the turn of events as she was.

Soft footsteps broke Sakura out of her trance and she watched Sasuke as he made his way to the door.

"Tsunade-sama, you can't let them do this. He's…"

"Sakura," Sasuke said and turned to fix her with a steely glare. "Don't bother, they won't care."

Sakura wanted to argue with him, but she knew that he was right. She couldn't tell them that he was not at his full capacity, or they'd exploit that weakness. It was the game the interrogators played, after all.

Tsunade stepped aside and the two ANBU entered the room, grabbed Sasuke and twisted his arms behind him. They had almost made it to the door when Tsunade stepped in front of them to halt their progress.

"Sasuke, I…" she started t say, but Sasuke cut her off.

"I was wondering when you'd get around to this, Hokage-sama," Sasuke said, making the title sound like an insult. "I'm sure you're eager to see what other tidbits of information Orochimaru left behind in my head. Frankly, I'm surprised you waited this long."

Something crossed Tsunade's face, before it was replaced with anger. "I don't have to like my orders, but I do have to obey them," she said to Sasuke, before turning to the ANBU. "Take him. Report back to me when you're finished."

The men left, Sasuke walking placidly between them. Not that Sakura had expected Sasuke to resist, not in his current, and very precarious, standing with the village. Not to mention that resisting would make him look even guiltier than people already thought he was. Shikamaru and Lee's reaction to what happened was proof enough.

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama," Sakura told her teacher, who was still standing at the door with her back to them, "Sasuke has been with you for the past six hours. You know what condition he's in."

Sakura could see the Hokage's shoulder's tense even more. "I am aware of that, Sakura."

Sakura looked down at her hands, which had wrapped around Naruto's arm. She squeezed slightly and wished that Naruto could squeeze back. If he were awake, he'd be fighting with everything he had to get Sasuke away from the interrogation force. Then again, if Naruto were awake, there'd be no need to interrogate Sasuke.

"If a medic is needed during the interrogation, I want to be the one that goes in to treat him," Sakura said.

Tsunade did not immediately reply. When she did, she didn't bother to turn around.

"I'll see to it," Tsunade said and left the room.

Sakura took a couple of steps back until she hit the bed she'd laid on earlier. She let herself sit on it and dropped her head. She'd witnessed, and taken part in, a few interrogations after she'd become a medic. They were messy and horrible affairs meant to break down the person's mind so that they were pliable and answered anything you asked them. Sakura had even seen one interrogation where the mind was so broken that the person had been made to believe anything the interrogator wanted her to. If the interrogator could not break the person, then he would forcibly extract the information that he wanted. Sakura didn't think that Sasuke knew more about the attack on Naruto than he was telling them, but she had no doubt that there were memories he wouldn't want anyone else to know about. She knew that Sasuke would resist, even though he was in no shape to do so. She also knew that Ibiki would get his answers sooner or later. She had yet to witness an interrogation that didn't end up with the desired results.

"Did you tell anyone else about your theory, Shikamaru?" Sakura asked after she'd gotten her thoughts into some semblance of order. "Sasuke was the one to call the Hokage initially, and he told her about the ninja, the poison, and what he remembered about Orochimaru's visit to Kirigakure. Why would they feel the need to subject him to the interrogation force?"

Shikamaru looked at Lee and then back to Sakura. "I didn't talk to anyone else about this but Lee," he replied.

"There was Utatane-sama," Lee pointed out.

"That's right," Shikamaru said. "On our way here, Lee and I ran into her. I have no idea what she was doing wondering around the village that late, but she had apparently overheard us because she asked me for a report. I gave it to her."

Sakura shook her head, finally understanding. "Utatane-sama has the authority to order the Hokage to do something she obviously didn't want to do," Sakura said. "I just hope that…" she trailed off.

"You hope that what, Sakura?" Lee asked.

"Nothing, Lee," Sakura said. "I'm sure everything will be okay."

She looked at Naruto's sleeping face and felt her heart constrict a little.

_Please wake up, Naruto,_ she thought_, we need you back with us._

**&&&&**

You have to love village politics. There are so many people with so many hidden agendas that it's a wonder anything ever gets done. Anyway, see you next time!


	9. Last One Standing

Greetings!

I apologize for the long delay, but work had me hostage for a couple of months. The crisis isn't entirely over yet, but I finally had some breathing room to get this chapter finished and into some semblance of order.

Reviews: I usually reply to all signed reviews, but due to a time crunch this time around, I was unable to for this chapter. Please know that I read and appreciate all of the ones I've received.

Warnings: slight violence, some strong words, but nothing major.

Posted 7/28/07

&&&&

**Chapter 9: Last One Standing**

Sakura paced the length of the hospital room. She was exhausted, but when she'd tried to rest worry for Naruto and anger at what was being done to Sasuke kept her mind from relaxing. When Shikamaru and Lee had been with her, they'd kept her distracted with their conversation, even if at times she'd wanted to smack them for some of their wilder theories about Orochimaru, and by extension Sasuke's, involvement in what happened to Naruto. Now that she was alone, her mind insisted on traveling down paths Sakura knew were best left alone.

She stopped next to Naruto's bed and performed another diagnostic. The fever he'd been running had gone down a little bit more and his chakra was returning to normal. He was still pale, but that, too, would diminish once his charka was stabilized. She could feel Naruto's chakra become tinged with the fox's chakra once again, and gave a small sigh of relief that Naruto was healing.

Sakura traced the whisker marks on Naruto's right cheek and thought back to when she'd found out Naruto's secret. She'd always known that Naruto was different, special, but nothing could have prepared her for the truth of why that was. Naruto, who was always cheerful and full of confidence, had been scared when he'd shown up on her doorstep that day. He'd come unannounced, after a few months of being away from the village on a mission with Shikamaru and Kakashi, and she'd immediately reacted to his fear with fear of her own. She'd pulled him inside and peppered him with questions, and had become even more afraid when he wouldn't say anything and wouldn't look at her. When he had finally spoken, he'd said what she'd least expected to hear.

"_I have an idea about how to get Sasuke back," Naruto said._

_Naruto's voice was so soft that Sakura was unsure if she'd heard him correctly. She hadn't seen him in months and they hadn't discussed Sasuke in longer than that. _

"_Why are you bringing this up now?" she asked._

_Naruto's hand was resting on his stomach and he looked as if he were in pain. He was still not looking at her, which worried her even more. Sakura reached up to lift his head so she could look into his eyes, but he stepped away from her. He instead lifted his shirt and flared his chakra. Speechless, Sakura watched as a seal that took up the entire plane of his stomach became visible. _

"_What is that, Naruto? What happened?" she asked when she'd regained her voice._

_Sakura got closer so that she could see the seal. The design was familiar, but she couldn't remember where she'd seen it before. _

"_Were you injured? When was this done?"_

_She had so many questions, and they all left her mouth before she could stop them. She reached out to touch the seal, but a second, more pronounced, change in chakra stopped her. She straightened and looked at Naruto, her eyes wide. _

"_That chakra, it feels like yours, but it's also different," she said. _

_Come to think of it, she remembered plenty of times when Naruto's chakra had changed as it had changed now. It usually only happened when he was badly hurt or they were in the middle of a battle. Concerned, and scared that he wouldn't look at her, Sakura put her hands on his cheeks and forced him to meet her eyes. What she saw in his normally cheery eyes was the fear she'd already felt, and resignation. _

"_What's wrong, Naruto. Please tell me. Why are you acting like this?"_

"_This is a very powerful seal," Naruto said. "Can you modify it to remove Orochimaru from Sasuke's body?"_

"_Forget Sasuke," she said, "Right now I want to know what is going on with you."_

_Naruto's eyes widened at her outburst and he shifted his focus so that he was looking somewhere over her left shoulder. Sakura moved her head so that she was, once again, meeting his eyes. _

"_Who gave you the seal, Naruto? What does it do?"_

_It seemed to Sakura like an eternity passed between them before Naruto finally spoke. _

"_The Yondaime Hokage gave me the seal on the day I was born," Naruto said. "I've had it all my life."_

_It didn't take her long to remember that Naruto had been born on the day the nine-tailed fox had attacked the village, and that the Yondaime Hokage had died sealing that fox. Her mouth dropped open as she realized just who it had been sealed into. Naruto must have seen her come to the realization, because he attempted to pull away. The hurt in his eyes was so keen that Sakura felt it too, and she wrapped her arms around him. _

"_Silly," she said, her eyes filling with tears, "do you think a little thing like that would make me hate you?"_

_His body was tense, but he relaxed when her arms wrapped around him. He wrapped his own arms around Sakura's waist, and she rested her head against his chest and cried. _

"_Why are you crying, Sakura?" Naruto asked when she pulled away. _

"_For you, because you were so scared I'd hate you, because now I realize why the villagers hate you. I'm sorry to have been a part of that, before I really knew you."_

"_No harm done," Naruto said, and the tension was gone and that goofy grin that Naruto was known for was back in full force. "I'm glad you finally know."_

"_Me too," Sakura said. "Don't ever keep anything like that from me again, okay? After all, I tell you everything."_

_Naruto's grin widened. "Yes, Sakura-chan."_

That had been the start of the strong friendship they had now, and the beginning of their plan to get Sasuke away from Orochimaru. She'd learned a lot of things about her friend since then, but none as significant, and as important to Naruto, as what he'd shared with her that day.

She removed her hand from Naruto's cheek, and wished once again that he'd wake up. A pair of strong voices caught Sakura's attention, and she stepped outside the room to see what it was.

"I'm sorry, Umino-san, but the Hokage gave me instructions to keep everyone out of that room."

Umino Iruka stood in front of the guard, glaring at the man. The guard, for his part, looked downright apologetic.

"Did the Hokage specify that I was to be kept away?" Iruka-sensei challenged. In full teacher mode, Iruka-sensei was a force to be reckoned with. Sakura could see that it was having an effect on the guard and thought she'd be better off saving both men from themselves.

"It's okay for him to come in," Sakura said.

Both men turned to her, startled at the sudden interruption. The guard immediately stood at attention, while Iruka-sensei smiled at her. Her former teacher breezed past the guard and into Naruto's room. He nodded to Sakura as he passed, and then immediately made his way to Naruto's bedside. He ran one hand through Naruto's hair and then frowned at the obvious signs of battle on Naruto's face.

"What happened?" Iruka-sensei asked.

"I thought you already knew," Sakura replied.

Iruka-sensei shook his head, but kept his attention on Naruto. "I heard rumors," he said, "but few people know what really happened. I only guessed that Naruto would have been brought here, since he was last seen with the Hokage. I'm glad I was right."

Sakura sat on the bed Sasuke had occupied two hours earlier and told him what happened. She spoke slowly at first, but gained speed the further she got into the story. When she was finished, Sakura felt dangerously close to tears, but managed to hold them off once again. Iruka-sensei left Naruto's side and put a hand on her shoulder. When Sakura looked up, the concern on his face almost made her lose her resolve not to break down.

"It's tough to be the only one left standing, Sakura," Iruka-sensei said, "but those two couldn't be in better hands. They're strong and they have you on their side; they'll be okay."

Iruka-sensei's confidence in her made her feel better, but it wasn't enough to stem the anger she felt at the entire situation. "How much longer will they have to be strong, Iruka-sensei? How many times can life screw with them and expect them to come out unscathed?"

Iruka-sensei didn't have an answer, but Sakura hadn't expected him to. He gave her shoulder one last squeeze and then sat on the bed beside her. "Do you mind if I stay here for a while?"

"Not at all," she said. "I'd love the company, and I'm sure that Naruto would love to see you when he wakes up."

They lapsed into silence, which Sakura used to go over the situation they were faced with. When her worry for her two best friends threatened to send her into a deep well of despair, Iruka-sensei's hand was there to ground her and bring her back to the present. He'd pat her on the shoulder or the hand and give her a reassuring smile, which was enough to bolster her for a little while longer. Sakura wasn't sure how long they sat like that, but a knock on the door broke the peacefulness they'd managed to achieve.

"Come in," Sakura said and tensed when she saw one of the ANBU that had come to get Sasuke open the door. Sasuke wasn't with him, and the offer she'd made Tsunade before the Hokage had left the hospital room earlier entered her mind:

_If a medic is needed during the interrogation, I want to be the one that goes in to treat him._

"Your assistance is required, Haruno-san," the man said.

Sakura was frozen to the spot, clutching the white sheets underneath her hands. Her mouth went dry and she found it difficult to breathe.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" Iruka-sensei asked.

"It's Sasuke," she finally said. "There's something wrong." Sakura turned to Iruka-sensei and hoped that her face didn't show her panic. "Could you please stay with Naruto until I get back?" she asked.

"Of course," he said.

Sakura nodded her thanks and left the room. The ANBU followed her at a discrete distance. He didn't have to tell her where to go, because she was familiar with where the interrogation force conducted its business. It took all of her willpower to keep herself from sprinting out of the hospital and to the basement level of the Hokage tower where they were interrogating Sasuke. She had to be professional and would not let the man following her know just how rattled she was. Weaknesses had to be protected from anyone but the most trusted of friends. She'd learned that the hard way.

When they reached the room, Sakura waited for her escort to open the door for her. She steeled herself and cleared her face of any emotion. She forced her heartbeat to slow and her hands to stop shaking. When she walked inside, no one in there was going to know how worried and frightened for Sasuke she was.

"Enter," the escort said.

Sakura took a deep breath and entered the darkened room. The only source of light was a lantern set on a high shelf, but it was enough for her to see by. Morino Ibiki stood off to one side, his arms crossed over his chest and an exasperated expression on his face. The other ANBU that had gone to get Sasuke stood at attention on the opposite side. In the middle of the room was Sasuke. His arms, legs, and chest were secured to a chair with leather straps. His head was tilted forward so that his chin rested on his chest, which gave her a view of the back of his head. Someone had pulled on his ponytail several times and most of the hair had come loose from the tie. When she got closer to Sasuke she smelled bile. She tilted Sasuke's head up so that she could see his face, and gasped at the same time that Sasuke jerked away from her hand.

"Why is he blindfolded?" Sakura asked Ibiki.

Ibiki shrugged. "He possesses the Sharingan. I didn't want to take any chances that he'd use it on me."

"He's not your enemy!" Sakura said. "He wouldn't have used it against you."

"As far as I'm concerned, he is my enemy," was the stoic reply from the scarred man.

Sakura turned back to Sasuke and it wasn't hard to see why she'd been brought in. Sasuke had reacted negatively to whatever drugs they'd given him and had become ill. The front of his shirt was covered in bile, as were the loose strands of hair that had fallen over his shoulder. Sakura let Sasuke's head drop once again to his chest.

"What did you give him and how much?" Sakura asked.

Ibiki motioned for the other ANBU to answer, and the man immediately rattled off a list of drugs they'd used to make the concoction they'd given Sasuke: drugs to make Sasuke more pliable and more easily influenced, drugs to paralyze him and make him less of a threat, drugs to make him more talkative. There wasn't anything atypical about the mixture, unless Sasuke was allergic to something she didn't know about.

"How much did you give him?" she asked again when the man neglected to answer the second question she'd asked. The man held up three fingers. Sakura frowned.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, her anger rising at her inability to get straight answers out of these people. "You brought me in here to treat him, so why are you not telling me what I need to know?"

"Three vials," Ibiki said.

Sakura turned to him, her jaw dropping open in shock. "How many times have you administered that dosage?" Sakura asked, dreading the answer.

"Twice," Ibiki answered. "He couldn't keep it down long enough to conduct the interrogation."

"That's four times the normal dosage. Five times if you take into account that Sasuke is only a teenager," Sakura said. "You are aware of the dosage restrictions, Morino-san. Are you deliberately trying to cause an overdose?"

The elder ninja stiffened and before Sakura knew it, he was standing in front of her, glaring down at her.

"You should be careful with your accusations, young lady," he said, his chakra leaving goose bumps on Sakura's skin. "He was being unusually resistant to questioning, so we had to resort to unusual methods to get the information we were ordered to get. It worked beautifully, until he became sick. What I need you to do is administer something so that he doesn't react to the drugs as violently as he did."

Sakura shook her head. "You can administer the normal dose and he won't be sick anymore."

"The normal dose doesn't work, I've already told you that, Sakura," Ibiki said. "You need to make it so that he can handle the higher dose."

Sakura clenched her jaw. She couldn't refuse the order, not without someone else backing her up, and she had a feeling that backup would be hard to come by in this situation. She turned to the ANBU that had brought her.

"There are hospital robes stored in those lockers down the hall," she said, "and there should also be some spare shirts. Go get one and a glass of water."

The ANBU looked at Sakura and then turned a questioning look to Ibiki.

"What do you need that for?" Ibiki asked.

"I'm not going to leave him in that soiled shirt," Sakura said through clenched teeth. "You might not believe in a person's dignity, but I do. I need the water for the anti-nausea medication you want me to give him."

While Ibiki was talking to the ANBU, Sakura made her way back to Sasuke. She lifted his head and held his flushed face between both of her hands. She leaned in until her mouth was next to his right ear.

"Sasuke, its Sakura."

There was no initial response, until he tried to pull away from her. The movement was weak, but the meaning was clear. Then again, he was drugged. He could still be trapped in whatever state of mind the interrogation had put him in.

"Sasuke, please," Sakura whispered urgently, "I need to know that you understand before I do anything. Hear me, Sasuke. It's Sakura, not the interrogators."

Another moment passed, and then Sasuke relaxed into her hands. Sakura released the breath she'd been holding.

"I need you to trust me, okay?"

It took a little bit, but Sasuke finally nodded.

She rested his chin against his chest again and performed a diagnostic. He was quickly losing his chakra and he was running a high fever. She undid the strap on his right wrist and gasped when Ibiki's hand wrapped around her upper arm.

"What do you think you're doing?" he growled.

"You've drugged him so much that he can't keep his head up; do you honestly think he'll be a threat while I change his shirt?"

"We can change it," Ibiki said.

"No," Sakura said. "I'll do it."

Ibiki relented and resumed his position by the door. By the time the ANBU returned with the things Sakura had asked for, she'd undone the leather straps that held Sasuke's upper body to the chair and had angled him so that he was leaning on his side. Sasuke had wrapped a hand around the arm rest to keep himself in place, but his grip was weak. Sakura created a knife out of chakra and slit the shirt Sasuke was wearing down the middle in both front and back. She slowly worked it off him and then balled it up and threw it on the ground. Sakura leaned him against her while she unfolded the green shirt the ANBU had brought. Sasuke's skin was very hot to the touch, which added to her worries. After a few more minutes, Sakura had the clean shirt on him and was redoing the straps. She didn't want to do it, but leaving him unbound was out of the question. She could at least leave them looser than they'd been.

She got the glass of water from the ANBU, took two packets of medicine from her pouch and tore them open. She poured the powder of both packages into the glass and used a little chakra to mix it. She turned back to Sasuke, who'd managed to keep his head up.

"I'm going to give you something for the nausea, Sasuke," Sakura said as she placed the tip of the glass against his bottom lip. He recoiled from the glass. She had to hold the back of his head to keep him steady. "It's okay; it'll make you feel better."

_Please drink it, Sasuke; it's the only thing I can do for you._

As if heeding her silent command, Sasuke tilted his head back a little and let the fluid spill into his mouth. He coughed when he first attempted to swallow, but eventually managed to drink the entire glass. Sakura squeezed the back of his neck slightly in reassurance before letting him go. She then glared at Ibiki.

"I would suggest that you limit the use of the drugs," Sakura said, her voice as hard and sharp as a kunai. "I'm sure you'd like to prevent an overdose, Morino-san."

"How I conduct my interrogation is none of your business," Ibiki said. "You've done what you came here to do, now kindly leave."

Sakura tilted her head in a slight nod and, without looking back at Sasuke, left the room. She walked quickly down the hall and only then realized that she was still holding the glass in her hand. She looked at it in disgust and then threw it against the nearest wall. The barrier she'd put on her emotions ever since Sasuke had told her about the attack on Naruto began to crumble, so she ran out of the tower. She didn't stop running until she was at the top of the Hokage monument, where Naruto liked to go when he needed to think. Unlike Naruto, who liked to sit on top of the Yondaime's head, Sakura dropped to her knees on top of the Godaime's head. She covered her face with her hands and sobbed.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there, but by the time her tears stopped falling, the sun was high in the sky. She glanced at the now soaked packages of drugs she'd held on to and sighed. She hadn't given Sasuke anti-nausea medication. Instead, she'd given him a sedative. There was a rule of interrogation that Konoha followed: when the subject passed out, the interrogation was over. Ibiki could perhaps break the rule with a captured enemy that had shown malicious intent towards the village, but Sasuke did not fit that category.

Sakura hoped it would be enough.

**&&&&**

_The village's market was busy, as it was every Sunday. Naruto walked down the main street quickly, eager to get out of the direct line of sight of so many people. He wasn't afraid that they would physically hurt him, but their glares and whispered conversations about him did just as much damage. Naruto would normally avoid this street, but it was the fastest way to get to where he was going. _

_As that thought left his mind, Naruto stopped. Where was he going? He frowned as he realized that he didn't even know where he'd come from. He was so sure that he had to get to the Hokage tower, but now he realized that he didn't know why he was so set on getting there. _

_His thoughts were interrupted as someone plowed into him. The impact knocked him to the ground and Naruto landed painfully on his side. Something had hit his legs, and upon closer investigation Naruto found a boy of about 6 draped over his legs. The little boy was looking at him, fear clear on his face as tears pooled in his black eyes. Naruto untangled the boy from his legs and got to his feet. He set the boy down beside him and sighed in resignation when the little boy backed away. _

"_Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" Naruto asked the boy, whose tears had managed to escape the confines of his eyes and were trickling down his cheeks. The boy shook his head and looked around, apparently trying to find whoever he'd been with. When the boy turned, Naruto saw the Uchiha fan on the back of the boy's shirt. _

"_Hikaru!"_

_Naruto turned towards the voice and saw a young woman hurrying towards the little boy. He took a step away from the kid, knowing what was sure to follow: the woman would pull her child away from him as if he were contaminated, and then yell at him for daring to get close, even though it had been the child who had run into him. When the woman reached them, she kneeled in front of the boy. _

"_Are you hurt?"_

"_No, Mom, I'm fine. I'm sorry for running when you told me not to."_

_The woman's face softened. "See why it's wise to listen to your mother?" she said. She stood up and then turned to Naruto. "I'm so sorry, Uzumaki-san. Hikaru gets a little excited sometimes and forgets where he's going." She bowed deeply and then touched Naruto's left sleeve, which had been torn when he hit the ground. "Please bring this by my family's dress shop and I'll mend it for you."_

"_I'm sorry too, Uzumaki-san," the little boy said. "I'll help my mom fix that for you."_

_Naruto looked from one to the other, confused and unsure if they were playing a joke on him or not. Why weren't they reacting like everyone usually did? The woman must have seen something on his face, because her eyes widened and she fell into a bow again. _

"_If you don't want it mended, I can replace it," she said. "I really do apologize for my son."_

_The woman sounded genuine, and Naruto felt bad for making her worry. He touched her shoulder until she straightened. _

"_It's okay," he said and smiled at her. The smile worked wonders, because the worried look left her face to be replaced by a brilliant smile. "I'll bring it by and you can both mend it, how's that?" he said, not bothering to mention that he didn't know who she was or where her shop was. He looked down and smiled at the little boy, who grinned in return. _

"_Make sure you do. Have a pleasant day, Uzumaki-san," the woman said, picked up her son, and turned to walk back to her shop. _

_Naruto couldn't help noticing that she, too, wore the Uchiha fan on her back. The Uchiha weren't supposed to be alive, unless Sasuke had decided to go through with his childhood ambition of rebuilding his clan He took the time to look at the people around him and noticed that few people were paying attention to him. The ones that did smiled and inclined their heads in acknowledgement, or called out a greeting. He was so lost in the strangeness of everything that he didn't realize someone had come to stand beside him until a hand fell on his shoulder. Naruto jumped and whirled around to face a sight even stranger than the two Uchihas. _

"_Are you okay, Naruto? You look really lost," Kakashi said. "I thought that by now you would know the way to the tower, if not I'd have come after you sooner."_

_The man's voice was warm and teasing, and he was smiling underneath the mask. Both brown eyes shone with merriment at something Naruto had a feeling was an inside joke between the two of them that he had no recollection of. He must have stared for too long, because Kakashi frowned._

"_Did something happen? You look pale."_

_How could Naruto explain that the reason he was so thrown off guard was that Kakashi was not supposed to have two brown eyes. _

"_Things aren't supposed to be like this," Naruto finally said. _

"_What do you mean?" Kakashi asked. He walked in the direction of the Hokage tower and Naruto followed. "You've lived here all of your life, Naruto, what's different now?"_

"_People aren't supposed to be nice to me; they're supposed to hate me."_

_Kakashi stopped and turned to him. "Why would they hate you?"_

Before Naruto had a chance to answer, he was no longer standing in front of a Kakashi with two brown eyes in a village of people that didn't hate him. Instead, he was looking up at a stark, white ceiling. His entire body hurt and he felt weak and very tired.

"Sakura, he's awake."

Naruto suddenly found himself staring at a grinning Iruka. Sakura, who had been lying on the bed next to his, rubbed her eyes and also grinned at him. She came over and put a hand on his forehead.

"How are you feeling, Naruto?" she asked.

Sakura looked horrible. She had dark circles under her eyes, which were also red and puffy. Her normally immaculate hair was messy and her clothes were wrinkled. Her voice was slightly hoarse, as if she'd recently been crying. Naruto opened his mouth to ask what had happened to her, but he wasn't able to speak. Sakura noticed immediately, left the room for a moment, and then returned with a cup of ice chips. She took one and placed it in Naruto's mouth.

"Suck on it until it melts, then I'll give you another one. It's too soon to give you water."

Naruto wanted to ask what she meant, but decided that he liked the ice in his mouth much better and concentrated on soothing his parched throat. After a few more ice chips, he felt ready to speak.

"What happened?" he croaked. "Why am I here?"

He realized he was at the hospital, but couldn't remember how he'd gotten there. Iruka and Sakura looked at each other, and the looks they exchanged made Naruto's stomach churn with apprehension.

"You were attacked in your apartment yesterday, Naruto. Don't you remember?"

Naruto frowned and attempted to go back that far in his mind, but the strange dream he'd just woken up from was still very clear and he couldn't get past how strange that had been. When he was finally able to push it away, he remembered going to bed and having a nightmare. Suddenly, with the subtlety of a ton of bricks, the events of the night before returned to him.

"I remember now," he said. "There were three of them from Kirigakure. They said they wanted to kill the monster."

Both Sakura and Iruka's expression darkened at the words. They'd apparently not known the reason behind the attack until now.

_Idiot,_ Naruto thought, _how could they know if you just now woke up?_

"How are you feeling, Naruto? From what I hear, it was a pretty close call," Iruka said.

Naruto focused on his body and quickly took inventory of his various hurts. His back hurt the most, and he could still remember being cut by that sword. His side hurt as well, and he'd probably fractured a rib or two. His face hurt and he reached up to find that his forehead sported several bandages. An immediate question came to mind.

"How long have I been unconscious?" Naruto asked.

"It's been a little over twelve hours," Sakura replied.

Naruto frowned. "If that's the case, then why am I still injured? The fox should have healed me by now."

"The sword that cut you on the back was poisoned," Sakura said. "The poison was designed to not only destroy your chakra pathways, but to keep you from drawing on the fox's chakra. The antidote we gave you has slowly mended your pathways, but you're just now able to draw on the fox's chakra again. He won't be healing you for a while."

Now that Sakura mentioned it, Naruto did remember Sasuke telling him something about being poisoned and asking him to stay awake and mold chakra. He'd thought the request had been strange at the time, but had done it because Sasuke had looked downright scared.

"My back is really hurting," he finally replied to the first question Sakura had asked him. "Other than that, I just feel tired."

Sakura ran a quick diagnostic and then nodded in approval. "Your chakra is still unsteady, but not as much as it was before. It'll take it a while to get back to normal, so you're expected to rest until then. No running around until I say so, okay?"

This was the part Naruto hated the most, especially when Sakura was the one treating him.

"Yes, Sakura-chan," he said, adding the honorific that he only used once in a while when he wanted to tease her.

Naruto looked around the room and couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment that Sasuke wasn't there. Naruto had been sure that Sasuke did actually give a damn, since he'd come to help the night before, but perhaps it had just been the poison that had made Naruto see things.

"What's the matter, Naruto?" Sakura asked.

Naruto knew that Sakura had noticed the disappointment, and he had to look away from her so that she wouldn't be able to see more.

"I'm tired, Sakura," he replied. "I think I'm going to go back to sleep now."

Naruto had barely closed his eyes when there was a knock on the door. Curious, Naruto opened his eyes to see who it would reveal, but the door did not open. Instead, there was another knock. Iruka went to the door and opened it to admit an ANBU carrying an unconscious Sasuke.

"Where do you want him?" the man asked.

Sakura's face hardened at the sight of the man. "Lay him on this bed," she said and pointed to the bed to Naruto's right.

Naruto looked from Sakura to Iruka, but neither one of them seemed surprised with what was happening. Sakura stood next to the bed as Sasuke was placed upon it, and the ANBU quickly left. The anger in Sakura's eyes was unmistakable as she looked Sasuke over. The Uchiha was pale, except for the deep flush to his face, and was shivering quite badly. His hair was wet and his face sported several bruises. His arms were bruised as well, but if Naruto had to place the marks, he'd say that they'd been the result of being restrained. Sakura pulled the blanket from the bed on the other side of Naruto and covered Sasuke with it. She asked Iruka to bring her some cold water, and while Iruka went to get it, she got a cloth from the cabinet and folded it. When Iruka returned with the water, she dipped the cloth in it and then placed it on Sasuke's forehead.

"He's running a fever," she said, "but he's been drugged enough that I don't want to give him medication for it. The cold cloth will have to do."

Naruto tried to sit up in bed, but was unable to manage it on his own. Sakura came over and slowly helped him do it. Before she let him rest on his back she lifted his shirt and checked the wound.

"The surface of the wound has been healed, but it's still going to be quite sore, since it was the entry point of the poison. You need to be careful, Naruto. I don't want you getting hurt again."

Sakura's green eyes pierced into his and he was a little taken aback by the protectiveness he saw in them. Naruto was speechless and could only nod in response.

"So are you going to tell me what happened to Sasuke, or am I going to have to guess?" Naruto asked bluntly once he'd processed everything that had happened since he'd woken up. "Was he hurt last night? I don't remember him being hurt, but it could have happened after I passed out."

Iruka, who had been standing in the background, cleared his throat. "I'm going to inform the Hokage that Naruto is awake and that Sasuke has been returned," he said.

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei," Sakura said. "I'd really appreciate that."

Once Iruka had left the room and shut the door behind him, Sakura visibly deflated. Her shoulders slumped and her face lost the hardness. Instead, Naruto could see that she was scared. She sat on his bed and turned to give him her full attention.

"The council ordered that Sasuke be interrogated because of Orochimaru's ties to what happened to you last night."

Naruto had to push down the anger that immediately boiled to the surface at what had been done to his friend in favor of thinking through the situation clearly. He'd have plenty of time to yell later.

"I have to admit that after that ninja got me with the sword, things got a little fuzzy. I remember that Sasuke sent one of his summons before he showed up, and the ninja he fought did think he was still Orochimaru. I don't understand how Orochimaru could have been involved, though."

Sakura sighed and told him about the nature of the poison and what Sasuke had told the Hokage about Orochimaru's trip to Kirigakure. By the time Sakura had stopped talking, Naruto's anger had tripled.

"That bastard!" Naruto said. "Even in death he's causing problems. I still don't get why Tsunade let the interrogation happen in the first place. Sasuke had already told her what he knew. What else did she want from him?"

Naruto was having trouble understanding that, more than anything else. Tsunade wasn't one of Sasuke's supporters, but she was a reasonable and logical woman and, if Sasuke had already volunteered what information he knew, there was no reason to interrogate him.

"I don't think she had a choice, Naruto," Sakura said. "I think it was an order from the council."

"That figures," Naruto said. "Those old bastards have wanted to interrogate Sasuke since we brought him back."

They lapsed into silence, and Naruto's eyes were drawn to the unconscious figure next to him. Sasuke was still shivering and every once in a while he would whisper something too soft for Naruto to hear. The fingers of his left hand twitched, as if Sasuke were reaching for something or someone. Sakura noticed as well, because she pulled up a chair so that she was sitting between the two beds, and held Sasuke's hand. Sasuke's hand immediately tightened around hers and he calmed down a bit.

"He'll never let you do that when he's conscious," Naruto said.

"I know," she said, a sad smile on her face.

"Is he going to be okay? I know that interrogations can be pretty bad, but few of the ninja on the receiving end lose consciousness," Naruto said. "He looks pretty beat up too," Naruto added, pointing to Sasuke's face.

"He's sedated," Sakura replied. "The drug should wear off in a couple of hours."

Naruto frowned. "Why would they sedate him?"

"I sedated him," Sakura said. "He was having a bad reaction to the drugs they were giving him and they called me down so I could get him to keep the drugs down. Instead of fixing the problem, I gave him a sedative, one that would take a bit to kick in, so as not to draw Ibiki's suspicions. Sasuke's face wasn't bruised when I saw him, so they must have done that after I left," Sakura added and her chakra flared with her anger.

Naruto shook his head, disgust at the lengths people would go to get what they wanted. "Foreign ninja infiltrate the village and we turn against our own. Where is the logic in that?"

"We knew this would happen, Naruto. We knew that he'd never be accepted if we brought him back, but we decided to do it anyway. We couldn't ask him whether this is what he wanted, so we made the decision for him. As much as I hate it, this is nothing more than what we already expected."

Naruto couldn't argue the point, so he chose to ask something else instead. "Is there anything else you can do for him? He's shaking pretty badly."

"He's running a fever, and I'll have to keep watch until it breaks. He's also exhausted most of his chakra, which only makes things worse. More medication is out of the question so all I can do is watch him and make sure it doesn't get worse."

Naruto sighed. "What is the Hokage going to do with the remaining Kirigakure ninja?" he asked.

"He was going to be interrogated as well," Sakura answered. "I don't know when that will be, though."

"I doubt they'll get much from him," Naruto said. "They didn't seem like the talkative types."

**&&&&**

Tsunade scowled at the scroll lying open on her desk as if the sheer force of her disdain for what had been done to get the information written on it would somehow make it disappear. She'd burn it if she could, but she doubted that the council would let her get away with that. They'd probably use that as grounds to get her out of office and appoint a Hokage that they could control better.

"What's on that scroll that's got you so worked up?"

Tsunade flinched in surprise and glared at her uninvited guest.

"It's the report from Sasuke's interrogation," Tsunade replied.

Jiraiya settled himself in front of her desk and leaned over it so that he could take a look at the scroll. With a practiced flick of her wrist, Tsunade rolled it closed. When she glanced at her old friend he'd crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Is there something in there you don't want me to see?" Jiraiya asked.

"There are things in there that no one but Sasuke should know," Tsunade replied.

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed, but she didn't immediately explain herself. She was having trouble sorting through everything she'd read and the emotions those painful words had stirred in her, and she wasn't quite ready to talk about what she'd learned from Sasuke's interrogation.

"Did you discover anything else about the attack on Naruto from the interrogation?" Jiraiya asked, and Tsunade was grateful for the reprieve Jiraiya was giving her. He was one of only two people around who could read her like a book, and she needed that understanding at a time like this.

"No. While Orochimaru's visit to Kirigakure did come up during the interrogation, there wasn't anything that Sasuke revealed while drugged that he hadn't already told me."

"Then what is on that scroll that's got you so upset, Tsunade?" Jiraiya asked.

"You're familiar with interrogations, right Jiraiya? What do the drugs do to you?" Tsunade asked in turn, not quite ready to address the contents of the scroll just yet.

"Of course I am. The dugs are intended to submerge you in whatever memory contains the information the interrogator is attempting to retrieve, as if it were happening again."

Jiraiya looked at her expectantly, and a little smugly, waiting for his reward for having answered the question correctly. She didn't have to say anything to Jiraiya about what was on the scroll. Technically, since the majority of the information that was on that scroll had nothing to do with the village's security, she didn't even have to divulge the entire contents to the council. She needed to speak to someone about that information, on a personal level, however, and there was no one better than Jiraiya to keep the information to himself.

"I know very little about Sasuke, but I've come to the conclusion that there have been two defining moments in his life: the massacre of his clan and Orochimaru having taken possession of his body," Tsunade said. "Everyone in Konoha has wondered about what really happened the night Itachi murdered his clan, but no one but Sasuke has ever known."

"What about the second defining moment?" Jiraiya asked when Tsunade fell silent.

"We should never have allowed Orochimaru to get as far as he did," Tsunade finally said. "Many people would still be alive today if Sarutobi, or one of us, had killed him when we found out what he was really after."

"You sound like Naruto," Jiraiya said, but Tsunade could see the guilt creeping into his features as it always did when their former teammate was mentioned. "What makes you bring that up now?"

"Orochimaru's visit to Kirigakure wasn't the only thing Sasuke talked about while he was under the influence of the drugs. He also gave a vivid account of the night his brother massacred his clan, and the day Orochimaru took over his body."

Tsunade had known Jiraiya for the majority of her life and could count on her fingers the number of times she'd seen him completely surprised. She watched as the emotions played across his features, until his eyes fell on the closed scroll once again.

"That must be some very disturbing information," Jiraiya said.

"It is. Do you still want to read the scroll?" Tsunade asked.

"Of course I do. You've put me in charge of the kid, so any information that could help me understand what makes him tick would be very beneficial."

"Sasuke isn't going to like the fact that you know," Tsunade pointed out.

Jiraiya abandoned his perch on the desk and dropped into a chair. "I'm not going to tell him I know," he said.

Tsunade had to admit that Jiraiya was making sense for a change. She'd put him in charge of Sasuke instead of having Kakashi do it because Jiraiya wasn't as emotionally involved with the kid, nor did he share the history with Sasuke that Kakashi did. She didn't think she'd ever understand Sasuke, but at least now she thought she understood the mindset that he led him to make the choices he'd made. It didn't excuse what Sasuke had done, or what he'd allowed Orochimaru to do while using his body, but it at least provided some insight into a mind that Sasuke would never willingly allow them access to.

Tsunade tossed Jiraiya the scroll. "This scroll will not leave this office, so read it quickly. I'm going to destroy it as soon as I give the council my report."

Jiraiya had already started reading by the time she'd finished speaking, so Tsunade settled back in her chair to watch him. She could tell what parts of the scroll she was reading by the expressions on his face. By the time he was finished, the color of his face almost matched the color of his hair.

"It was bad enough putting up with Orochimaru when he was around," Jiraiya said as he handed Tsunade the scroll, "I can't imagine having to live with the man constantly in my head." Jiraiya shuddered and rubbed his hands on his arms. "That's just too creepy."

He lapsed into silence and Tsunade could tell that there was something else on his mind. She waited for him to bring it up and when he didn't, decided to bring it up herself.

"What's on your mind, Jiraiya?"

"Could Sasuke have deliberately allowed the interrogators to see those memories in order to guard something else?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow in contemplation. "It takes a strong mind to choose what memories to focus on and present during an interrogation."

"Sasuke lived with Orochimaru in his head for three years. If anything would have made him mentally stronger, it'd be that."

"If you were Sasuke, would you want your memories of those two particular incidents to be known to anyone else?" Tsunade asked. "If your mind was strong enough to pick and choose what information to give, would you give that?"

Jiraiya considered the words for a few moments. "I guess not. The account of the Uchiha massacre was very childlike, which makes sense, since Sasuke was only eight when that happened. He's very touchy about the incident, so I doubt that'd be something he'd want to share."

A knock at the door interrupted them. Tsunade put the scroll in a drawer before allowing the person at the door entrance. She was surprised when Iruka stepped into the room.

"Naruto is awake," the chunin said.

"How is he?" Jiraiya asked before Tsunade could.

"He's still fairly weak and a bit disoriented, but otherwise seems okay."

"Let's go," Tsunade said and led the way out of her office and back to the hospital.

Once they had reached the hallway that led to the Naruto's room, Tsunade heard voices. She couldn't make them out at first, not until she was almost standing by the door.

"If you don't lie back down, I'm going to pommel you into the ground and tie you to the bed so you can't get back up!" Sakura's voice drifted from beyond the closed door.

"This is a waste of time, Sakura," Naruto replied, "I want to go see what those bastards did to my apartment. Maybe they left evidence behind or something."

"Don't you think our ANBU have already done that?" Sakura asked.

"Do you think they'd really do a good job looking for evidence, considering that I was the one attacked?" Naruto replied, his voice almost inaudible.

Tsunade's stomach clenched at those words, because she knew that they were likely true. As much as she'd tried to knock some sense into people about Naruto, very few seemed willing to listen and see him for the person that he really was. As he'd matured, he'd kept his disdain and anger at the village to himself, but Tsunade had never been able to miss the hurt in his eyes when situations like this one came up.

"Do as Sakura says or I'll tie you to the bed myself," Tsunade said as she pushed open the door.

Naruto's eyes hardened when they landed on her. Sakura, who had her hands on Naruto's shoulders in an attempt to get him to lie back down, stepped away from the bed and stood at attention. Behind her Tsunade could see Sasuke lying on the bed he'd occupied when she'd come to get him earlier.

"You're not my boss right now, remember?" Naruto said, "I don't have to listen to you."

Before Naruto could react, Tsunade was at his side and had pushed him down onto the bed with one hand, which she kept on his chest to keep him from getting back up.

"I spent the entire night keeping you alive, brat, and I'm not going to let you waste all of my effort," she said.

She didn't remove her hand until Naruto had relaxed. He crossed his arms over his chest and sulked like a little kid who'd just been told that it was his bed time. Tsunade thought the sight was endearing, but she wouldn't dare say it to him.

"How are you feeling? Iruka said you were still a little weak," Jiraiya asked.

Naruto shot his academy teacher a dirty look before turning to Jiraiya. "I was a little out of sorts when I woke up, but I'm fine now. Sakura said that the poison had messed up my chakra pathways, so the fox couldn't heal me, but that the connection has been restored."

Tsunade ran a quick diagnostic on him and was surprised to find that his chakra pathways were back to normal and that a few of the lingering injuries she and Sasuke had been unable to heal were gone. His chakra levels were low, even for Naruto, and he was still a little weak.

"You need to stay here for a little while longer, Naruto," Tsunade said. "If you run off, I will have you dragged back here, understand?"

Naruto wouldn't meet her eyes, but he grudgingly agreed.

"Thank you for watching out for him, Sakura," Tsunade said and Sakura gave her a small bow in acknowledgement.

Tsunade went to the last bed and ran a quick diagnostic on Sasuke as well. He was still feverish and shivering and was dangerously low on chakra. She could also sense that his body's rhythm was still off, as if it was still trying to fight something off. He was going to need some supplements or an intravenous feeding to restore his strength, and chakra, if he didn't wake up soon. A cloth had been placed on his forehead to help with the fever and the blankets that had once covered him had been pulled off completely.

"How long has he been unconscious?" Tsunade asked.

"Since they brought him in about an hour ago," Sakura replied.

The pink-haired ninja looked like she had something to say, and Tsunade motioned for her to continue speaking.

"Ibiki called me down to the interrogation because Sasuke couldn't keep the drugs down, but they'd given him five times the normal dosage by the time they'd called me."

Tsunade cursed, and winced when Naruto's own curses mirrored her own. No wonder Sasuke was still out of it and his body felt out of sync. The extra drugs might explain why Sasuke's mind had taken him back to those two events in his life. She'd need to have a talk with Ibiki and whoever else was present at the interrogation and make sure that what they heard would not be spread around the village.

"I didn't want to give him any more drugs, so I've just been trying to keep the fever down," Sakura said. "Is there something else I should have done?"

"You did the right thing, Sakura. We do need to get an IV into him to help his body replace the nutrients it lost when it rejected the drugs."

Sakura nodded and left the room to get everything set up. Naruto had stopped cursing behind her, but when Tsunade turned away from Sasuke, it was to face a furious Naruto.

"How could you let them do that to him, Tsunade?" Naruto asked. "Hadn't he already told you what you needed to know?"

"Are you questioning my orders, kid?" she asked.

"Yes, I am!" he replied. "Did you really think that he was a threat, that he sent those men after me? Why would he come help me if he wanted me dead?"

"Sasuke didn't want you dead, Naruto, but Orochimaru did," Jiraiya added.

"So you're saying that Orochimaru and Sasuke are the same?" Naruto asked his teacher.

"Naruto, be reasonable," Tsunade interjected before the two men could get into one of their infamous shouting matches, "there was a possibility that Sasuke had information that could help us figure out why you'd been attacked, so we did what we had to do."

Naruto met and held her eyes, and it hit Tsunade once again how Naruto could freeze her with a glare.

"You don't believe that any more than I do, old lady," Naruto finally said.

Tsunade broke eye contact first, before Naruto could force her to admit anything she wasn't ready to. "Do what Sakura says Naruto, or I will have you locked in here and tied to your bed. I'll be back to check up on you both later."

She left them behind and made her way out of the hospital. She had a report to deliver, after all.

&&&&

For those of you wandering about the dream Naruto had: no, I haven't gone nuts. There is a method to my madness, I assure you. Until next time!


	10. Countdown

Happy weekend, everybody.

Everything I've ever written has changed directions halfway through, with the story deciding that it's not going to go straight to where I planned but take a detour in some other direction first. I was hoping that after 9 chapters, this one would be different, but this chapter sort of blew that away. What that means for you, my faithful readers, is that the story might be a couple of chapters longer than the 13 I planned.

I have a favor to ask, if I may: A reviewer suggested a while back that I tweak the first chapter, and I thought that was a good suggestion, because the chapter could use some help. Before I do that, I'd like to know what made you want to keep reading past the first chapter (or the first few paragraphs, for that matter). I'll be eternally grateful for your feedback.

**Warnings**: Violence and some swearing

**Reviews**: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. Special thanks go to causeiambetta for making me realize that Ibiki could be used for good as well as evil. I think I'm going to have fun with that one.

**Disclaimer**: Naruto and its characters do not belong to me. They belong to the very talented Masashi Kishimoto and the series' various distributors.

Date posted: 09/15/07

&&&&

**Chapter 10: Countdown **

"The fever hasn't gone down at all since he was first brought in. I'm starting to get really worried," a female voice said

"Is there anything you can do?" a male voice asked.

The voices faded in and out of Sasuke's awareness, neither lingering long enough for him to identify the speaker. They were familiar and he didn't feel threatened by them. He was fairly sure the voices belonged to people from his past and wondered if he were dreaming of his old life in Konoha, as he had often done after Orochimaru took over his body. He could also be caught in one of Orochimaru's illusions. The snake always enjoyed catching Sasuke off guard and torturing him with his own memories of the people in Konoha, and what he planned to do to them the next time he attacked the village.

Since Sasuke couldn't remember what had happened to put him in the condition he was in, his first option was to retreat to avoid angering the snake further. While he sometimes liked to provoke Orochimaru, Sasuke knew that he wouldn't be able to withstand another punishment in his current state. He had almost made it to the only place in his mind that he could claim as his own when he realized that something wasn't right. Tentatively, he ventured out into the part of the mind that Orochimaru inhabited and was surprised to find that the snake was not there. With a little more confidence, Sasuke pushed his own consciousness to the front until he could feel the chills racing through his body. He paused, expecting Orochimaru to come out of his hiding place and catch him attempting to take over the body, but when the snake did not make his presence known, Sasuke decided to open his senses fully and see if he could figure out where he was.

He almost wished he hadn't. He no longer felt chilled, but feverish. His body ached and his limbs were not responding to his commands to move them. He was unable to open his eyes, but his nose picked up the unmistakable scent of antiseptic. Another thing he was able to clearly distinguish was that someone was holding his left hand. Sasuke's first instinct was to pull away, but all he could manage was to move a couple of his fingers a tiny bit. The hand holding his relaxed its grip and let go, and Sasuke realized then that he really didn't want to lose the only contact to the outside world he currently had. He managed to move his hand again, and relaxed when it was gripped in a soft, but strong grip.

"You'll be okay, Sasuke," the same female voice broke into the haze of his mind. "Just ride it out."

His precarious awareness of the surroundings left him, and Sasuke found himself trapped in his memories.

&&

_He couldn't see, but he could hear and feel aches and pains all over his body. Straps around his ankles, thighs, wrists and upper arms alerted him to the fact that he was tied to something, so movement was out of the question. He could move his head, but it felt heavy and he was having a hard time focusing. His senses were dulled, so he couldn't tell whether he was alone in the room. His throat hurt, and nausea churned in his stomach. The nausea intensified, and Sasuke was sure that he was going to be sick. He swallowed several times in an attempt to keep the bile from rising, to no avail. He managed to turn his head to one side before whatever he'd been forced to swallow came right back up. _

"_Son of a bitch!"_

_The exclamation was followed by a blow to the stomach, which only made him even more ill and he threw up once again. When he was done heaving, someone grabbed his hair and pulled, forcing his head back. Someone else approached him from the front._

"_You're playing a dangerous game, Uchiha," he said, and Sasuke could feel the man's breath on his face. "Keep this up, and we'll show you the real meaning of pain."_

_What game? Sasuke couldn't remember where he was or how he'd gotten there, but this certainly didn't feel like a game to him. Whoever had spoken sounded furious, but Sasuke didn't know how the man had come to be so angry with him. Panic blossomed as Sasuke's mind cleared enough and he realized that he was trapped in a situation that was out of his control and he had no clue how he'd come to be right in the middle of it, or how to get out of it in one piece. _

_His head was pulled back further, and someone else, not the man in front of him, grabbed his chin and forced his mouth open. Something cold was pressed against his lips and then tipped so that the liquid it contained flowed into his mouth. _

"_Drink it, Uchiha," the same, cruel voice said, "and don't throw it up this time."_

_Sasuke's first instinct was to turn away, but that option had been taken away from him. Before he could come up with any other alternatives, his mouth was forced shut and a hand covered it and his nose, forcing him to either swallow the liquid or asphyxiate._

"_You may be the friend of the Hokage's little pet, but we have our orders to interrogate you, Uchiha," a different voice said. "Don't think that we'll give you any special treatment."_

_The situation suddenly dawned on Sasuke as the events of the previous night and the past few hours came back to him. A second blow to the stomach caught him by surprise, which forced him to swallow the contents of his mouth and then choke as some of it went down the wrong way. The liquid burned his throat and settled heavily on his stomach. He almost threw up again, but the hand that had retreated when he'd started to choke returned to his mouth, and had no choice but to keep it down._

_He wasn't sure how much time passed, but his mind became fuzzy and he could no longer feel his body. Instead, images from his past rushed into Sasuke's head, vivid and painfully accurate. He was unable to keep his head up and so he let it drop to his chest. Most of the sounds around him were nothing more than an annoying buzz, but he did manage to hear one thing, which plunged him into a particular set of unwanted memories: _

"_Tell me about Orochimaru's visit to Kirigakure."_

&&

"Hey, Sakura, his breathing is getting really bad," the male voices said.

Sasuke's hand was released and the bed he was lying on shifted as someone moved. Sasuke again tried to open his eyes, this time to look at the owners of the voices that he now recognized, but they refused to open. A cool hand was placed on his forehead, while another brushed the hair away from his face.

"I can see that, but I'm not sure what the cause is, Naruto," Sakura's voice filtered through the cobwebs. "Look, his breathing is going back to normal now," she added.

The cool hand brushed his cheeks, and an image of his mother's face popped into Sasuke's head.

"_You'll be okay once the fever breaks, Sasuke-chan. Until then, Mom is here to take care of you."_

His mother's face was as vivid and detailed as if he'd seen her yesterday, not more than a decade ago, and Sasuke felt as if he could reach out and touch her. He wanted to; he wanted to wrap his arms around her and never let go. Unfortunately, that was no longer an option. The image of his mother disappeared to be replaced by a much more familiar, and much more hated image.

&

_Sasuke was standing on the main road of the Uchiha neighborhood in the pouring rain. The yellow crime scene tape was still affixed to the main gate, so it had only been a few days since the massacre of his clan. He looked down at himself and realized that he was not the age he'd been when Itachi killed the clan, but was his current age. _

_Footsteps alerted him to a presence behind him and Sasuke turned in time to see a seven-yea-old version of him duck underneath the tape and run inside the compound. The little boy stopped at the spot where he and Itachi had talked the night of the massacre and his small hands clenched into fists. The boy's face looked pale, haunted, and Sasuke didn't have to look closely to know that the boy was crying. _

_Sasuke stared at himself for a long moment, his own hands clenching into fists. He'd been so young and so weak; his brother had even said that to him. If he'd trained harder and become stronger, perhaps he could have done something to stop his brother, or at least save a few clan members from Itachi's murderous rage. Instead, all Sasuke had managed to do was run for his life while begging his brother not to kill him. _

_Young Sasuke suddenly took off running. Sasuke followed, knowing exactly where the boy was going. Sasuke caught up with his younger self at the dojo of his family's home. The boy was on his knees beside the chalk outline and bloodstains that marked where his parents had been murdered. He was sobbing and had wrapped his arms around himself in a weak attempt at comfort. _

_&_

"_How pathetic, Uchiha," someone said, and Sasuke was no longer watching his younger self mourn for his parents. Instead, he was back in the interrogation room, disoriented, feverish, and in pain. "Someone like you reduced to tears by the memory of mommy and daddy."_

_Ibiki, whom Sasuke had identified halfway through the interrogation, was standing in front of him once again. He wasn't the one who had spoken, however. Ibiki's chakra was very agitated and it prickled Sasuke's exposed skin. It struck Sasuke that the man was in his element, doing what he did best. Sasuke was not a threat to them; they'd made sure of that. Why was Ibiki agitated? _

_Sasuke tried to shake the image of the little boy crying and hugging himself at the site of his parent's deaths, but it refused to leave his mind. He felt tears slipping out of the corners of his eyes and was grateful for the blindfold that kept Ibiki from seeing that weakness._

"_I could care less how your precious family met its untimely end," Ibiki said after a long pause, but the venom Sasuke had heard in the man's voice up to that point was not entirely there. "I'm getting tired of your misdirection, Uchiha. Tell me about Orochimaru."_

"_I couldn't do anything," Sasuke said before he could stop himself, his voice hoarse. "I couldn't save any of them, not even my mom and dad. Itachi killed my family and I couldn't do anything to stop him. I just ran away."_

_The man that had been pulling Sasuke's hair let go, and his head tipped forward. Before his chin came to rest on his chest, a backhand rocked his head to one side. Sasuke tasted blood. _

"_Give him another dose," Ibiki said. "I've had enough of this."_

&&

Sasuke returned to himself to find that he was not as disoriented as he had been the last time he'd been aware of his surroundings. His mind was a little bit clearer and his body didn't feel like it was burning anymore. The memory of the interrogation, of what he'd told Morino Ibiki and whoever else had been in that room, sent shame rushing through him. There was nothing he had strived to keep to himself more than what happened that night, and now that information was in Ibiki's hands, who would no doubt tell the Hokage, who would have to tell the council. He had no doubt that the information would spread from there and the whole village would eventually know about it.

Movement beside him prompted Sasuke to open his eyes in alarm. He hadn't felt anyone around him, and it frightened him to realize that his senses were still dulled by the drugs. Sasuke wasn't sure what to expect, but a blonde head resting on the bed beside his left arm hadn't been it. Naruto had fallen asleep on the chair beside the bed and his upper body had ended up resting on the bed. Naruto was facing him, and he looked tense even in his sleep.

Naruto moved his head once again, apparently caught in a nightmare. The image reminded Sasuke of a few nights ago, when he'd woken Naruto up from a nightmare only to be pushed away by his terrified ex-teammate. Sasuke clamped down on the memory before it grew too much and decided that he didn't want to be around for round two.

He scooted away from Naruto as quietly as he could, until he was at the opposite edge of the bed. Sasuke managed to get himself to a sitting position without disturbing the other ninja, but whatever control of his body he'd managed left him when he tried to stand. As soon as he'd gotten to his feet, Sasuke's vision blurred and he swayed. He'd almost managed to regain his balance when his stomach rebelled and threatened to empty whatever was left in it. Sasuke covered his mouth with his free hand, but made the mistake of leaning forward. He lost his balance and landed on the floor with a very loud thud.

"What the hell?"

Naruto's voice came through loud and clear, even though Sasuke couldn't see the blonde get out of the chair and come to his side.

"Are you out of your mind, Sasuke?" Naruto asked. "You should be in bed."

Naruto put his hands on Sasuke's shoulders, but Sasuke pushed him away with the hand that wasn't clamped over his mouth. Unfortunately, his body wasn't responding as well as it should be and he didn't push Naruto as far away as he would have liked.

"Push all you want, bastard, but I'm not getting away from you until you're back in bed or Sakura will kill me," Naruto said.

Naruto once again put his hands on Sasuke's shoulders, and Sasuke again pushed him away. This time, however, Sasuke held up his hand to tell Naruto to wait. When the nausea receded, Sasuke dropped both hands and took a few deep breaths. When he was sure he wasn't going to be sick, Sasuke looked at Naruto with what he hoped was a stoic face. The concerned look on Naruto's face, however, told Sasuke that he hadn't quite pulled it off.

"Idiot," Sasuke said, his voice still hoarse, "I didn't want to be sick all over you."

The worry on Naruto's face made him feel uncomfortable, so Sasuke broke eye contact and resumed the task of getting back up. Naruto grabbed Sasuke's arms and helped him to his feet. Once he was upright, Sasuke pulled away but was still unable to maintain his balance on his own.

"Lay down before you hurt yourself, Sasuke," Naruto said as he gently helped Sasuke back onto the bed.

Sasuke still felt nauseated and didn't want to lie down, so he settled on sitting with his back against the headboard.

"You're still drugged," Naruto said. "From what I hear, they gave you a lot more than they should have."

"Yeah, I remember," Sasuke muttered under his breath.

It suddenly occurred to him that the last time he'd seen Naruto the blonde had been close to death. This realization prompted Sasuke to take a closer look at Naruto. He looked pale, disheveled, but very much alive.

"You're okay," Sasuke said.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at that. "Of course I'm okay, Sasuke. I'm indestructible."

The line was so stupid, so unexpected, that all Sasuke could do was gape at the blonde, until a corner of his mouth quirked up in amusement. Naruto noticed and broke out into a grin. When the grin faded, however, the seriousness in Naruto's eyes was unmistakable.

"The old lady told me that it was a close call," Naruto finally said. "That snake of yours, while creepy, saved my hide until you got there."

Sasuke shrugged, which made the ache in his arms and back more pronounced. "Those ninja came through my property first; I should have gotten to them before they got to you."

Tense silence and thoughts they'd never dare voice hovered over them like guillotines, until Naruto took the plunge and gave voice to one of them.

"Orochimaru wanted me dead, huh?" he asked.

"That shouldn't surprise you, Naruto," Sasuke replied.

Naruto frowned, the struggle between what he wanted to say and what he thought he could say was clear in his eyes.

"I thought he wasn't interested in me," Naruto finally said. "He said so himself."

Sasuke opened his mouth, an answer automatically on his lips, but then snapped it shut. What could he say, that Orochimaru became interested when he realized how strong of a bond Sasuke still had with Naruto? He didn't think Naruto would react kindly to knowing that one of the main reasons Orochimaru had wanted him dead, aside from the fact that losing him would cripple Konoha, was because Orochimaru wanted Sasuke to suffer from the loss.

"What?" Naruto asked. "You know something, what is it?"

Sasuke shook his head. "It's not important, Naruto."

"Like hell it isn't," the blonde replied. "Those three ninja came here specifically to kill me because Orochimaru put them up to it, and if you know something, you're damn well going to tell me."

"The interrogators already did a pretty good job of getting that information out of me, don't you think?" Sasuke said. "I've told them, and the Hokage, everything I know."

Naruto's anger and frustration were evident in the chakra that radiated off of his body, which to Sasuke meant that Naruto's chakra pathways had been restored. As long as the blonde was back to normal, everything was fine. Sasuke turned away from Naruto and focused on the view through the open window.

"I'm going to get Sakura," Naruto said after a few minutes of tense silence. "You should at least be nice to her, you bastard, she helped you a great deal."

Once the door had closed behind Naruto, loneliness sank in. Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest, but dropped them back to his sides when he remembered the image of his younger self at the dojo. Keeping Naruto and Sakura from getting too close was for their best interest. They had their own problems without having to deal with his. It was with that thought that Sasuke lay down and drifted off into a fitful, drug induced slumber.

&&&&

Hatake Kakashi resisted the urge to climb into the hospital room he'd been observing for some time and knock some sense into his former student as he'd resisted the urge to run after his other, more hard-headed, former student when he'd left the room in a huff. Many years had passed since Kakashi had been Naruto and Sasuke's instructor, but he still saw traces of the immature, combative boys they'd been in the young men Sasuke and Naruto had become. When Sasuke had pushed Naruto away, Kakashi had almost expected Naruto to start yelling at Sasuke as he used to do. Instead, the quiet insistence followed by the angry withdrawal was a lot more troubling to Kakashi.

In the room, Sasuke had gone back to sleep. As much as Kakashi wanted to talk to him and make sure that he was okay, he didn't want to disturb Sasuke's sleep. Kakashi could tell that it was a fitful sleep from Sasuke's tossing, turning, and occasional murmur, but he figured it was better than none.

Years ago, and under much different circumstances, Kakashi would have come up with any excuse to stay away, reasoning that Sasuke wanted to be left alone. The young man had been forced to become independent and self-sufficient at a very young age. Sasuke had mastered the act of appearing as if he was in complete control, and nothing ever bothered him, so it was easy for everyone in the village, including Kakashi, to forget what had made Sasuke into such an independent young man in the first place. Sasuke had retreated into himself to the point that killing Itachi had become his sole obsession, and there had been no one around to point out to him how damaging that was.

Sasuke's murmuring got louder, and Kakashi was able to pick up Itachi's name. Deciding that waking Sasuke up wasn't a bad idea after all, he leapt into the room and landed beside the bed. He studied the bruises and cuts on Sasuke's face and his exposed arms, and knew that more would be found underneath Sasuke's clothes. Interrogations were brutal things, and Ibiki was the best in the art of extracting information. Kakashi could only imagine what it had taken to get through Sasuke's defenses.

"I must be really beat up for you to look like someone just trashed your book collection, Kakashi," Sasuke said before Kakashi had the chance to wake him.

"You've looked better," Kakashi replied. "Those bruises are going to get nice and bright in a few days."

"Then it's a good thing I don't have any adoring fans anymore," Sasuke said. The tone was mean to be light, but Kakashi could still hear the slight undertone of bitterness in it. "I'd hate to disappoint."

"Dreaming about your brother?" Kakashi asked before Sasuke could direct the conversation elsewhere.

Caught off guard, Sasuke forgot to school his features into his usual mask of aloofness, which gave Kakashi a rare glimpse at the hurt little boy that still lived underneath what a decade of single-minded focus on revenge had turned Sasuke into.

"What makes you think that?" Sasuke asked as he pushed the covers aside and sat up.

"You were mumbling in your sleep, and Itachi's name came up. Does it happen often?"

Sasuke's jaw worked as it clenched and unclenched, but the rest of his body was neutral. He spent a great deal of time studying Kakashi, which made the elder ninja feel as if Sasuke was trying to figure out what his intentions were for bringing up Itachi. He apparently found what he was looking for, because, after a few moments of scrutiny, Sasuke looked away.

"I used to dream about him a lot more than I do now," Sasuke said.

Kakashi hadn't expected an answer, so he had to stop and think about how to keep the conversation going without causing Sasuke to clam up again. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms in the most casual position he could think of.

"What changed to stop the dreams?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke's next answer took longer.

"Itachi is dead."

The statement hung between them for a long while. Kakashi studied Sasuke's face, but found none of the triumph he would have expected from someone who had finally accomplished what he'd spent most of his life pursuing. It didn't take long for Kakashi to figure out why that was.

"You didn't kill him, did you?"

Sasuke looked up at Kakashi then, and he looked every bit the teenager he still was.

"My hands delivered the final blow, but I wasn't the one controlling them," Sasuke answered. "It seems Orochimaru had his own score to settle with my brother, and once he had the Sharingan, it became much easier to do it."

Sasuke's voice was empty, but his eyes told of the disappointment and anger he couldn't voice. Kakashi felt for the young man, but there was nothing he could say that would change the outcome. It was a hard lesson, but hopefully one that Sasuke would build from and start his life over.

"Is that why you didn't take off again after Naruto killed Orochimaru and brought you back?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke shook his head. "Even if Itachi had still been alive, being Orochimaru's host made me realize a few things. Unless our paths had someday crossed, I would not have actively pursued my brother any longer."

Kakashi's eyebrows rose in surprise. It had taken enslavement by an insane snake with a superiority complex for Sasuke to learn the lesson Kakashi had been unable to teach him. It left a bad taste in Kakashi's mouth, and he wondered if three years of bloodshed could have been avoided if he'd managed to get through to Sasuke first.

Sasuke shifted on the bed, wincing as his back hit the headboard a lot harder than he'd intended.

"Are you okay?" Kakashi asked, venturing into safer territory. "Did they give you something for the pain?"

"No," Sasuke replied, visibly relieved at the change of topic, "Sakura said that there were already so many drugs in my system that she didn't want to give me anything else."

"Are you going to be okay?" Kakashi asked again.

The response didn't come right away. "The body will heal like it always does."

The unstated implication that the mind wouldn't heal as easily hung in the air, but neither of them had the courage to address it, at least not yet.

Kakashi perched on the window once again, preparing to leave. "Rest and do what the doctors tell you to. I don't want you leaving the hospital before you're ready."

Sasuke nodded, but Kakashi knew that as soon as Sasuke felt well enough to walk, he'd jump out the window and go home. They both knew it.

"Take care, Sasuke," Kakashi said and leapt out of the room.

He was late for a meeting with the Hokage that would probably take him out of the village, but now that he'd made sure that Sasuke was relatively well, and had been told things he never though Sasuke would willingly share, he felt a little better about being away for a while. Sasuke could take care of himself, and he was sure that Naruto and Sakura would be there for him, as Sasuke would be for them, even if he didn't want to admit it.

Once Kakashi made it to the Hokage's office, he was surprised to find both Hyuga Neji and Nara Shikamaru still waiting outside.

"It seems I'm not the only one running late today," Kakashi commented.

Shikamaru sighed, crossed his arms and leaned against the nearest wall. "We've been out here for forty-five minutes," he said, "but no one has come to get us. All we've heard from inside was some occasional yelling, but nothing we could make out."

"Who is in there?" Kakashi asked Neji.

"The Hokage, Shizune-san, Jiraiya-san, and Morino Ibiki," he replied without turning to face Kakashi. "I can't hear what they're saying, but I bet it has to do with the interrogations Ibiki conducted this morning."

The dread that had lived in Kakashi ever since he'd been informed about Sasuke's interrogation intensified. He knew that Sasuke had quite a few secrets that he would try desperately to protect, but he didn't believe that Sasuke was a threat to the village. He was sure that the people actually conducting the investigation, however, would not share his views. Kakashi was worried that, fear and hatred for Sasuke being what it was, the things Sasuke had revealed during the interrogation would be twisted and turned against him. If the four occupants of the room were discussing Sasuke at the moment, whatever information they'd gained must have been very troubling.

"Where is Uchiha now?" Neji asked. "Weren't they done with him first?"

"He's in the hospital," Kakashi replied, "and he's not under guard, if that's what you were wondering about."

"They must have roughed him up quite a bit then," Shikamaru muttered, but in the tense silence of the hallway, the statement was heard by the two remaining men.

_The fact that they only left Sasuke with Naruto and the ANBU that had been watching Sasuke earlier is a good sign, _Kakashi thought. _If the interrogation had uncovered anything that would classify Sasuke as a risk, they would have assigned more guards to him until they could transfer him to a more secure facility. _

Kakashi's thoughts were interrupted as the door to the Hokage's office opened. Ibiki exited first. His face was a stoic mask, but there was no mistaking the angry fluctuations of his chakra. Had Ibiki not been so preoccupied by whatever had transpired in his interrogation room or in the Hokage's office he'd have been able to mask the chakra. The interrogations specialist passed by them as if they weren't even there and made his way to the exit. Shizune followed him out of the office, but stopped briefly when she reached them.

"Please enter," she said and then hurried off after Ibiki.

Kakashi let Shikamaru and Neji precede him into the office and then pulled the door shut behind him. He didn't have to be a mind reader to see that something had gone wrong. Jiraiya paced behind the Hokage's desk, lost in thought, which he usually only did when he couldn't go off and inflict damage on something or someone that had threatened him or those important to him. He watched the man for a few moments, but Jiraiya did not acknowledge their presence.

"Gentlemen, I've called you here because I need you to do some reconnaissance," Tsunade-sama said once they'd all come to attention in front of her desk. "Last night's breach of security took us all by surprise. Fortunately, both Uzumaki and Uchiha behaved as the well-trained ninja they are and contained the threat before more people could get hurt. In light of the information we received from Uchiha regarding Orochimaru's last visit to Kirigakure, we can't afford to sit around and not take action against this threat." Tsunade-sama paused to examine each of them in turn. "Uchiha didn't know any specific details about Kirigakure's attack plans, so I need you three to do find out as much as you can."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "Tsunade-sama, wouldn't the ninja we captured be able to provide us with more detailed information than what we could gather?"

A look of disgust flittered across Tsunade-sama's face and Kakashi heard a distinct creaking sound from where the Hokage gripped the arms of her chair. Jiraiya stopped pacing and turned to face them, his face unreadable.

"That ninja is dead," the Hokage said.

That was the last thing Kakashi expected to hear. When he'd been briefed early that morning, the Hokage had been certain that the ninja would be able to provide a great deal of the information they'd need to prepare for the incoming attack.

"How did he die?" Shikamaru asked before Kakashi had a chance to.

It was Jiraiya who answered. "The ninja was given a little too much freedom and he managed to activate the poison in his blood. He died before we could get anything worthwhile out of him."

_No wonder Ibiki had been so angry when he left the office, _Kakashi thought.

"Did Uchiha reveal anything during his interrogation?" Neji asked.

Kakashi wouldn't admit it if he were asked, but he was curious about that himself. A look passed between Jiraiya and Tsunade, which, if he hadn't known Jiraiya for as long as he had, Kakashi would have dismissed as inconsequential. Instead, Kakashi saw it for what it was: a look of confirmation for something they'd both agreed to stay silent about. If the look between them wasn't enough to tip Kakashi off, the look Jiraiya gave him certainly would have done the trick. They _had_ discovered something from Sasuke's investigation after all.

"Uchiha didn't reveal anything more than what he'd already told me, so that avenue is not worth pursuing," Tsunade answered.

Kakashi didn't buy it, but this wasn't the time or the place to pursue that further.

"I need each of you to head out of the village and scout the borders of Fire Country," Tsunade-sama said. "A successful attack on Fire Country is impossible from the sea because it would leave the troops exposed to attack for too long, so Kirigakure has probably secured several places around our border, or in unallied countries. If we're lucky, they haven't entered into Fire Country yet. We need to know where they are and how many there are. The sooner the better, so we can call for allies if we feel it's necessary. This is reconnaissance only, so avoid any and all confrontations," Tsunade explained. "I'm giving you one week. In that time, you will gather as much information as you can and return. If you're not back in that timeframe, we will assume that you've either been killed or captured. Is that clear?"

The men nodded mutely, the seriousness of the situation foremost on their minds.

"I don't need to remind you of the importance of this mission," Tsunade continued. "The sooner we can get this information, the sooner we can take action. I'd prefer to engage the enemy as far away from the gates of Konoha as possible, so stay safe and come back in one piece. Dismissed."

Kakashi led the way out of the office. As if following a silent agreement, all three men headed to the ANBU lounge. Neither spoke until they were inside and had made sure that no one else was in or around the room.

"I'll head north and cover the borders with the Land of Sound, the Land of Lightning and the areas in between until I reach the coast," Kakashi said.

He'd worked with Neji and Shikamaru before, and the unspoken agreement between them was that Kakashi took the lead during their missions together, so it came as no surprise to the younger men that Kakashi had spoken first.

"Then I'll head west and cover the borders with the Land of Rain, the Land of Grass, and the area between the Land of Fire and Land of Wind," Shikamaru said.

Neji nodded his agreement. "I'll cover the coast," he said.

"We need a way to stay in touch," Shikamaru said. "It'd be pointless to have information and be unable to relay it back to Konoha until our return. If something happens to us, the work we'll have managed to get done will be a waste."

"You read my mind," Kakashi said.

"Send one of your dogs with each of us," Neji suggested. "You can keep track of us through them."

"Good idea," Shikamaru said. "We can relay information through them to you…"

".. and I can then use my shadow clones to get that information back to the Hokage," Kakashi finished.

"What timeframe are we talking about for the passing of information?" Neji asked.

"How about every 24 hours?" Shikamaru suggested. "We might not have something to report at every check-in, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

"That will work. If Kakashi's dogs disappear, we'll know something happened to him," Neji said. "If your dogs return to you prematurely, you'll know something happened to us."

The three men nodded their agreement with the plan.

"We'll leave at midnight from the north gate," Kakashi said. "I'll see you gentlemen then."

&&&&

_What a mess,_ Naruto thought as he entered his apartment through the broken front door.

There was dried blood all over the floor and walls of his living room. The kitchen table was in pieces, and the wall opposite that also had large stains of blood. As Naruto stepped fully into the apartment and away from the fresh air, the combined smell of dried blood, bodily fluids, and burnt wood assailed his senses and he gagged. He covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve until he the gagging subsided.

Once he was sure he wouldn't lose the little he'd eaten for lunch, he walked to the couch, which was also covered in blood. He didn't remember fighting near the couch, so that had to have been where they put him once Tsunade had gotten to the apartment. His hand moved to his shoulder, where he could feel the tip of the scar that had been left behind by the poisoned sword. The wound was now healed, but the fact that a scar had been left made how close he'd come to losing his life very clear.

Naruto abandoned the living room in favor of his bedroom. He remembered the battle with the foreign ninja, but seeing the damage they'd done to the room made that night seem almost surreal. The dresser he'd ruined with the exploding tags was a mass of charred wood on one side of the room and the wall opposite was streaked with blood. The closet was in a state of disarray, but nothing there seemed to be damaged. Unfortunately for Naruto, a good portion of his clothing had been kept in the dresser and was now burned to a crisp.

He kicked the bed clothes that littered the floor off to one side and looked under the bed, but there was nothing there. When Naruto went to move the dresser in order to look behind it, it broke apart and sent ash and dust flying in all directions. When Naruto was finished coughing and getting the dust out of his eyes and nose, he decided to kick the pieces of wood around, but he didn't find what he was looking for there either.

Naruto was positive that he'd used his sword that night. He remembered digging in his closet for it, but couldn't remember whether he had it when Sasuke had arrived or whether he'd lost it before that. The last place he could clearly remember having it was his bedroom, but it didn't appear to be here anymore.

"If you're looking for the sword, Shikamaru has it. He found it as he was inspecting the damage and said he'd keep it for you."

Naruto yelped in surprise at the voice. He hadn't felt Lee's presence at all until the young man had spoken.

"I'm glad he's got it. I was afraid I'd either lost it or it had been stolen. What were you and Shikamaru doing here that night?" Naruto asked.

"Shikamaru apparently felt your chakra and knew something was wrong, so he came," Lee replied. "I saw the Hokage carrying you into the hospital and couldn't ask her what was going on, so I came to find out."

"You're either very nosy or a good friend," Naruto teased.

Lee grinned. "I'll take the first one."

Both young men silently surveyed the remains of the room. Naruto kicked at pieces of his dresser to see if he could find anything else that had survived. A feeling of finality washed over him when he saw the charred picture of team 7 stuck underneath one of the fragments. He picked it up and cleaned it as best he could, but the photograph was ruined. The only person Naruto could make out in the picture was himself.

"There's probably a copy of that picture somewhere in the archives," Lee offered. "I'm sure the Hokage can find one for you."

"Yeah, you're right," Naruto said. He folded the photograph and put it into one of the pockets of the hospital-issue shirt he wore. Even if he could get another copy, it could never replace the one he had now.

"How are you feeling, Naruto?" Lee asked after a moment. "I didn't expect you to be out of the hospital so soon."

"I'm not supposed to be out yet, so if you see Sakura or Tsunade around here let me know," Naruto said as he glanced around the apartment, afraid that his words would conjure up either, or worse yet both, of the people he'd mentioned.

"Should you not still be resting? Sneaking out of the hospital will not help you improve your health," Lee said, sounding very much like his former teacher.

"Don't you start lecturing me, Lee," Naruto countered. "What are you doing here? This place is a complete disaster."

"I heard that the ninja Uchiha captured killed himself before Ibiki and his team could interrogate him, so I came to see if there were any clues left behind."

Naruto's jaw dropped open. "How did he manage that? The interrogation team would have searched him for any weapons."

"I don't know all of the details, but I heard that he had some kind of poison in his blood that he was able to activate," Lee explained. "By the time our people got to him he was already dead."

Naruto shook his head in disbelief. He wondered what had gone wrong. Ibiki's people had rarely failed in their pursuit of information. The aftermath of Sasuke's interrogation was a testament to how thorough they were, even when dealing with one of their own ninja.

"That's unfortunate," Naruto said. "I was hoping to have a word or two with the man myself."

"Do you know why they came after you first?" Lee asked.

Naruto's jaw clenched as Lee's innocent question reminded him of Sasuke's non-response when he'd asked a similar question.

"No, I don't," Naruto said, "and I guess I'll have to look for another way to find out."

If he knew Tsunade, then the old lady had already formulated a plan to get the information that she'd expected to get from the now dead ninja. He could probably even guess who she'd send on the reconnaissance mission. If he weren't injured, or suspended, Naruto was sure he'd be one of the ninja to go. A sudden thought struck him and he could barely manage to keep himself from grinning. Just because he wasn't on the official ninja roster didn't mean that he couldn't undertake his _own _reconnaissance mission.

"Sorry, Lee, but I have to go," Naruto said and made his way out of the bedroom.

He'd made it halfway to the front door when he felt strong, and very familiar, chakra coming his way. He contemplated jumping out the window to avoid the confrontation he was sure would come, but figured that if he did that, he'd only make her angrier. Instead, he readied himself for the lecture she'd no doubt take great pleasure in delivering. He didn't have to wait too long before Sakura was standing at the door, glaring at him.

"What the hell are you doing out of the hospital, Naruto?" Sakura said in that calm voice she'd adopted over that years that meant very bad things if he didn't do as she wanted. "You told me you were going back to bed when you came to tell me about Sasuke."

"I just wanted to see what left of my apartment," Naruto said, hoping that the fear of what she could, and probably would, do to him once she got him back to the hospital didn't show up in his voice. "See, there's not much here anymore."

Sakura looked around for the first time and the anger left her face, to be replaced by disbelief and sadness, until she focused on Naruto once again.

"This is no place for you to be," Sakura said. "Lee, why didn't you bring him back?" she added when she noticed the other ninja in the apartment.

Lee, who still had a soft spot for Sakura, blushed. "I was going to convince him to return to the safety of the hospital, but you beat me to it," he said. "Wasn't I just telling you that you should be in the hospital?" Lee asked Naruto.

Naruto rolled his eyes at the immediate change in Lee's demeanor. It was as if he were the 12-year-old, love-struck ninja that had just met Sakura all over again. Naruto found it amusing to watch, and wondered why Lee still got so flustered around Sakura, who had never returned his childhood affections.

"Fine, you win, Sakura," Naruto said, and turned on the charm with a bright smile. "I'll go back to the hospital and you can tie me to the bed if you want."

He was at the front door when he realized that Sakura wasn't behind him. He turned around and found Sakura still standing where he'd left her.

"Aren't you coming?" Naruto asked.

"What are you planning?" Sakura countered.

"What makes you think I'm planning anything, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, still smiling.

"You never give in this easily," she replied.

Naruto chuckled. "You're too paranoid, Sakura. I'm not planning anything, now come on and lead the way to the hospital. I need my beauty sleep."

&&&&

There was a small restaurant next to Inoue Daisuke's shop, and the old man had noticed that it was unusually crowded with ninja. The place was close enough that Daisuke was able to listen to a few conversations when he stepped out of his shop. Something big had happened the night before, and from what Daisuke had heard, it was serious enough to have the Hokage worried. The ninja weren't very clear on the details and it seemed to Daisuke that they really didn't know what was going on, just what they'd heard through the grapevine. That didn't keep them from speculating, however. Daisuke had even heard the word 'invasion' used once.

Daisuke was concerned, but not entirely because of a possible invasion. The young man that had come to help him the day before seemed to be involved in whatever had happened. Daisuke had heard Naruto's name mentioned a few times, along with 'attack' and 'hospital'. The fact that the young man hadn't shown up for work that morning had been a surprise, since Naruto didn't seem like the type who would go back on his word. Now that he'd heard the talk, Daisuke was beginning to worry that something serious had happened to the kind, young man. Naruto's friend hadn't shown up for work either, and Daisuke wondered if he had been involved as well.

He'd been so lost in thought that he'd neglected to notice that someone was standing behind him. When Daisuke turned to go back inside the shop, he ended up bumping into the stranger instead. The collision sent both men to their rears on the ground. The stranger was wearing a brown cloak that covered him from head to toe, but the fall knocked the cloth off the man's head to reveal a young man with glasses and gray hair. One of the lenses on the man's glasses was badly cracked, and Daisuke wondered how he was able to see out of it at all.

"My apologies," Daisuke said as he got to his feet. "In my old age, I should be more careful."

The young man got to his feet as well and gave Daisuke a charming smile. He wasn't wearing a head protector, so Daisuke assumed he was a trader just passing by.

"No apologies necessary, sir," the young man said. "I should watch where I'm going as well, especially since there are so many people out today."

"Are you a visitor here?" Daisuke asked. "I'm fairly new to this village as well, so I can understand how easy it is to get lost with all of the crowds."

Something dark slid across the man's visible eye, which made the hair on the back of Daisuke's neck stand on end. The smile on the man's face never wavered, however.

"I'm just passing through," the young man said, "but I could use some help getting around, if you don't mind."

"Not at all," Daisuke said, much more reserved about the young man than he'd been earlier, but not seeing a problem with helping him get around. There was just something about the young man that made Daisuke feel uneasy. "I'm Inoue Daisuke," he said and offered the stranger a bow.

The young man bowed in return. "I'm Yakushi Kabuto, nice to meet you."

&&&&

So there you have it: Itachi's fate finally revealed. Some of you probably figured this out several chapters ago, since I did leave a sizeable clue.

Some of you had Kabuto pegged a while back too, so congrats! He is way too much fun to get rid of that easily. Be assured that he's got some dastardly plans for our handsome heroes. Or maybe he's just lonely.

Don't forget to leave a review on the way out!


	11. Two Steps Behind

Greetings!

So… I take it there aren't many Sasuke or Kakashi fans that are reading this, or was the last chapter just that boring? Not that I don't appreciate those that did review (thank you bunches!), but I'd hate to think that only 8 of you are enjoying the story.

I happen to have a weakness for misguided souls and find it fascinating to explore the inner workings of their heads, hence my focus on Sasuke. The same could be said for Kakashi to some extent, though not to the same extreme.

I was a little bummed that no one answered the very specific question I asked last chapter. I think I can go butcher the chapter just fine all on my own, though, so never mind. The story is almost over anyway, so I should probably just leave the butchering until it's finished.

Warnings: violence, some blood, Naruto's cursing (though nothing really bad), and a snake summon with a mean streak.

Enjoy.

Posted: 10/25/07

**Chapter 11: Two Steps Behind**

_Two Days Later_

Sasuke left his house that morning intent on taking the first step in rebuilding his life. Being a ninja was the only thing he knew how to do, but since that profession was no longer available to him, he needed to find something else with which to make a living. The job Naruto had told him about a few days ago was his only lead, and even though Sasuke had no clue as to what the job actually entailed, he decided that it was a good place to start.

When he reached the still deserted shopping district, however, Sasuke wondered if he shouldn't have given himself a few more days to recover. He didn't doubt his ability to carry out whatever job the proprietor of the shop assigned to him, but his appearance might make it look otherwise. Sasuke was able to hide the bruises on his body by wearing a shirt with long sleeves and a high neck, but hiding the ones on his face was another story. He had considered leaving his hair down to hide some of the bruising around his neck, but had discarded the idea because it might frighten his potential employer. In the end, he'd settled on a loose, low ponytail. It didn't hide everything, but it was better than nothing.

It wasn't hard to find the shop, and Sasuke let himself in when he discovered that the door was unlocked. The soft chime that sounded as the door opened got the attention of the proprietor. The man came out of a back room, a smile already on his face. The smile disappeared when he saw Sasuke, however. The fear that replaced it made Sasuke's stomach churn, because he was very familiar with that type of fear. It was the fear he'd seen on many helpless victims when Orochimaru had been in his body right before the snake killed them.

"I shouldn't have come," Sasuke said, already turning to leave before the situation got any worse.

"Wait," the old man said.

Sasuke stopped with his hand on the door, even though he wanted to run. He was being a coward and owed it to the man to stay and face him, so Sasuke took a deep breath and turned towards the man once again.

"You're Naruto's friend, aren't you?" the man asked.

"How did you know that?" Sasuke asked in return.

"Naruto said that his friend used to be a ninja, but wasn't one anymore and needed a job."

"That could be any number of people," Sasuke said.

The old man motioned for Sasuke to take a seat in the small receiving area at the front of the shop and Sasuke complied.

"You're not who you used to be," the man said once he'd also taken a seat. "I can see that in your eyes. I'm sure you're deadly enough on your own, but you don't have that homicidal look in your eyes anymore, the one that was there when…" the man trailed off and it took a few moments before he continued. "I've heard the talk around the village that Orochimaru was defeated and his vessel returned here. I didn't really believe it, but when I saw you, it all fit. I take it this is your home village, not Otogakure?"

Sasuke's curiosity was piqued. The man was observant and had probably spent some time around ninja, though he wasn't one himself. The fear that had graced the man's features was still there, but the man's own curiosity seemed to be keeping it at bay.

"Yes, this is my home village," Sasuke said.

"Then Orochimaru really is dead?" the man asked.

Sasuke nodded.

The old man smiled. "Good. That bastard was an abomination, and I'm glad that he's dead."

"How do you know Orochimaru?" Sasuke asked. "Where did you encounter him… me?"

"I come from a small village in The Land of Earth," the proprietor said. "I wasn't happy with what was available to me there, so I left and moved to another village in the Land of the Waterfall. Unfortunately, the village I chose bordered both The Land of Fire and unallied land. I don't claim to understand why my village was attacked, but I came into contact with Orochimaru when three Oto ninja destroyed my house and killed my family. One of the ninja was about to kill me when Orochimaru arrived. He instructed them to let me live so I could spread word of his invincibility."

An image of a bloodied, old man carrying the body of a little girl suddenly intruded into Sasuke's consciousness. He remembered those words, because Orochimaru had used Sasuke's voice to utter them.

"You'd employ me, even knowing what I allowed to be done to your family?" Sasuke asked.

The old man smiled sadly. "I doubt you had anything to do with what happened, other than whatever misguided choice led you to Orochimaru in the first place. Besides, it looks like you're already paying a steep price for that involvement," the man added, pointing to Sasuke's bruised face.

Sasuke was momentarily caught off guard. Kindness was not something he was used to, especially when coming from a complete stranger whose life Sasuke had destroyed by giving Orochimaru a vessel with which to continue to terrorize people. Sasuke wanted to pay for his mistakes and somehow repent for the lives Orochimaru had taken while in his body. Working for this old man, who'd lost everyone that was precious to him because of Orochimaru, was a good start.

"I'm sorry for you loss, Sir." Sasuke said.

"My name is Inoue Daisuke," the proprietor said. "You are?"

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"You're part of the Uchiha clan, the one whose neighborhood is deserted and people think is haunted?" Inoue-san asked.

"The place is not haunted," Sasuke replied, barely managing to smother his annoyance at the idiotic rumors no doubt spread by stupid villagers, "but yes, I was a member of that clan."

"What happened to them, then? Are you the only one left?"

"That's a long story that I'd rather not talk about," Sasuke said.

"Will Naruto be joining you today?" Inoue-san asked, wisely choosing not to push the issue further. "I told him that there's plenty of work for the both of you."

"Naruto was injured a couple of nights ago and he's still recovering," Sasuke answered. "I'm sure he'll return when he can. What would you like me to start on today?"

Inoue-san was out of his chair faster than Sasuke would have thought for a man his age.

"Come right this way, Sasuke-kun and I'll show you."

&&&&

The morning raced by and lunch arrived before Sasuke realized. He'd been so engrossed in cataloguing the shop's supplies that he'd not had a chance to think of anything else. He could get to really enjoy this job if Inoue-san decided to keep him on.

"Excuse me," a female voice drifted to the back room where Sasuke was working. "Is Naruto here?"

Sasuke found the question odd, and then realized that even he didn't know what had happened to his blonde teammate. He hadn't seen Naruto since the day he'd woken up in the hospital, and had taken that to mean that Naruto was keeping his distance. If Sakura was also looking for him, however, something had to be wrong, unless Naruto was avoiding her as well.

He left the room and got to the receiving area just as Inoue-san came out of his office.

"I'm afraid he isn't here, young lady," Inoue-san said. "I haven't seen him in a couple of days."

"Oh," Sakura said. "The Hokage told me that Naruto was working here and I was hoping to talk to him."

"When was the last time you saw him, Sakura," Sasuke asked.

Sakura turned to him, surprised. "I didn't know that you also worked here, Sasuke."

"I just started this morning," he replied.

Inoue-san cleared his throat. "It's past noon, Sasuke. Why don't you and the young lady go have lunch?"

Sakura brightened. "That's an excellent idea. What do you think, Sasuke?"

"I'd rather not," Sasuke replied. "We can walk to my house if you want a private place to talk."

"You can't hide forever," Sakura said. She grabbed his sleeve and pulled him out of the shop.

Sasuke considered pulling his arm out of her grasp, but figured that the only way Sakura was going to learn was to let her see the way the shop owners were going to react to him. They'd gotten lucky at Ichiraku because the owner respected and liked Naruto, but unless another restaurant owner accepted him for Sakura's sake, Sasuke doubted anyone else would be reasonable. He allowed Sakura to pull him into a restaurant on the opposite side of the Yamanaka's flower shop. The woman at the counter smiled when she saw Sakura, but the smile fell when she noticed who was with her.

"I'm afraid that we're already full for lunch, Sakura," the woman said.

"Oh, come on Asami. You've known me all of my life and have never refused me service," Sakura said.

"You're welcome to stay, but he needs to leave," the woman replied, pointing at Sasuke.

The woman crossed her arms over her ample chest, her body language screaming _I won't give in_.

Sakura stared the woman down, and then relented. "See if I come here again," Sakura muttered as they left the restaurant.

Sasuke let Sakura take him to two more restaurants, both of which refused them service. Sasuke hated the look of defeat on Sakura's face, but he couldn't change the village's bigotry.

"I can't believe them," Sakura said. "What do they think you're going to do to them?"

"Naruto has lived with this all of his life. Doesn't it surprise you that neither one of us noticed it before."

Sakura's eyes narrowed in thought. "Come to think of it, you're right. I wonder why that was."

"Think back. When we went out to eat as a team, where did we always end up?" Sasuke asked.

"Ichiraku," Sakura answered. "Naruto would, of course, always choose to go to his favorite restaurant."

"Was it that it was his favorite or the only one that would serve him?" Sasuke asked.

A look of horror crossed Sakura's face. "He already knew where he wasn't welcome, so he took us to Ichiraku so we wouldn't see him being turned away," she said. "I can't believe I didn't see it."

_We were too involved with ourselves to notice him,_ Sasuke thought, but refrained from voicing it.

They settled with Sakura going into one of the places they hadn't yet visited and getting takeout for the both of them, and then eating in the park across from the Ninja Academy.

"So when was the last time you saw Naruto," Sasuke asked when they'd settled on the swings with their food.

"The day you woke up," she answered. "I went to his apartment later that day and dragged him back to the hospital after he snuck out without permission. I left him tied to the bed, but didn't get a chance to return until the next morning. He was gone by then."

"I remember waking up in the middle of the night, but Naruto wasn't there," Sasuke said. "Did something happen? Where could he have gone off to?"

"I don't know. I went to see both Kakashi and Shikamaru, the two most likely people to know where Naruto was, but they're both gone."

"Do you think they were sent on a mission?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura thought for a moment. "Kakashi and Shikamaru, perhaps, but Naruto is still suspended. The Hokage wouldn't send him on a mission."

Sasuke noticed the tense set to Sakura's shoulders and the faint trace of fear on her face. "You're really worried about this," he said.

Sakura nodded. "While he was looking for you, Naruto used to leave the village for weeks at a time and sometimes come back half dead. Tsunade-sama would lecture him and suspend him, but he'd do it all over again. When I spoke to him at his apartment, he gave in a little too quickly to my demand that he return to the hospital, so I think he may have already been planning something then."

Knowing Naruto as he did, Sasuke had to agree with the sentiment.

"It probably has something to do with those ninja that attacked him," Sasuke said. "Maybe he found something out during the ninja's interrogation."

Sakura shook her head. "I doubt it," she said and told Sasuke about the ninja's fate.

"If Naruto did leave the village, he probably went to find some information on his own," Sasuke said. "You know how impulsive he can be."

"It's possible," Sakura said, appearing more troubled than she had when she'd gotten to the shop. "I can't go look for him," she added. "I wouldn't know where to start and Tsunade-sama would be furious. She lets Naruto get away with disobeying her, but she's not so tolerant with me."

Sasuke was in a worse predicament than Sakura. If he left the village he'd be labeled a missing ninja once again and would surely be executed on his return, even if he did come back with Naruto. Since he couldn't leave the village and look for Naruto himself, he had to settle for an alternative. He bit his thumb, lifted his right sleeve and ran the bloody thumb over the seal that bound him to Orochimaru's snakes, and then performed the appropriate seals. He placed his hand on the ground and muttered the name of the technique. A large, brown snake appeared by Sakura's feet, causing her to shriek in surprise and move out of the away.

"Are all of these people always so jumpy, Sasuke? I can't imagine you associating with such weaklings," Tebiki said.

"Who are you calling a weakling you ugly snake?" Sakura countered.

Tebiki, who had a sadistic streak in him and loved to antagonize people he didn't like, hissed at her. Now that she wasn't caught unaware, however, Sakura didn't jump. Instead, she kneeled beside Sasuke and came face to face with the snake. "I'm not afraid of you," she said and shook her fist at the snake. "Try anything and I'll punch you into the ground."

"At least one of them has a backbone," Tebiki said as he turned his attention to Sasuke. "What do you want this time?"

"Do you remember Naruto, the blonde from a few nights ago?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes," the snake replied. "He's the loud one with the demonic chakra."

"I want you to go find him and then come tell me where he is."

Tebiki slithered closer to Sasuke until he had coiled himself around Sasuke's left arm. The snake stared at the young man and Sasuke stared back. The snakes had a mind of their own and if they sensed any weakness in the person that summoned them they would not obey.

"You better be glad I like you, kid, or I'd make you deal with the other summons. I'll be back when I find the blonde," the snake added and disappeared.

"What did he mean about the other summons?" Sakura asked.

"Orochimaru controlled them through fear and there are a few that think that now that he's gone they don't need to honor their contract. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way and they're bound to me for the rest of my life."

"The one you sent off will do as you asked?" Sakura asked, hopeful.

Sasuke nodded. "That one doesn't dislike me too much, so he'll do what I asked. I'll let you know what he finds out as soon as he returns."

"Thanks, Sasuke," Sakura said. "I hope Naruto is okay. He still isn't fully recovered from that poison."

"He's resilient," Sasuke said, knowing just how resilient his ex-teammate was after having attempted to kill him on several occasions. "He'll come back from wherever he went in one piece."

&&&&

The familiar pop at his left shoulder alerted Naruto to Gamakichi's arrival. He didn't stop, however, trusting the toad to keep his perch and not fall off.

"He's reached Otogakure," the toad said.

"Crap," Naruto said. "Why the hell is Kakashi going there?"

"Otogakure isn't the problem, Naruto," Gamakichi continued, unusually subdued. "Kirigakure's ninja are on a direct course there and should arrive shortly. If they find Kakashi, he's as good as dead."

Naruto cursed once again. Leave it to Kakashi to head straight for the enemy. Then again, now that they knew that Kirigakure was allied with Otogakure, it made sense for them to be heading there to regroup and possibly form a unified force and attack Konoha together. Kakashi had no doubt followed the same logic and headed there as well. The man must have a hidden death wish going there alone.

"They're going to be in for a hell of a shock when they get there," Naruto said, hoping that Gamakichi couldn't pick up on the guilt he couldn't entirely keep out of his voice.

"It's not your fault, kid," Gamakichi said. "I think you did the world a service by getting rid of them all."

Somehow, reassurance from a toad just didn't have the same comfort Naruto would have liked, but he had to give the toad credit for even thinking of reassuring him. Hundreds of people had died in Otogakure, both ninja and civilians, because Naruto had been unable to completely control the demon inside of him. That wasn't something he carried lightly, and something he would never forget.

"Could you tell how many there were?" Naruto asked, forcing himself away from his morose thoughts. He didn't have time to be distracted right now.

"No, but it looked like a lot more than just a platoon or two," Gamakichi answered.

"Thanks for the information, Gamakichi," Naruto said. "I'll summon you again if I need you."

Never one to stay around when there was the potential for trouble, Gamakichi disappeared in a puff of smoke, which left Naruto alone with his thoughts as he raced through the forest that would lead him back to Oto. The last time he'd come through here he'd been desperate, almost suicidal. A part of him had understood that he might not make it out of Oto alive and he'd accepted that as a fitting punishment for his failure to bring back Sasuke as he'd promised Sakura. This time it was different. He had to get to Oto before the Kiri ninja did so that Kakashi didn't have to face them alone. Naruto had no doubt that Kakashi already knew about the approaching force and had probably already sent a shadow clone to warn Tsunade. Unfortunately, Kakashi also possessed an insanity gene that would keep him around the dead village longer than necessary under the guise of reconnaissance. Kakashi and Kirigakure had some history, and Naruto had no doubt that whoever was leading the men would take great pleasure in taking back Hatake Kakashi's dead body as well.

Naruto had lost some time because when he'd left Konoha, he decided to tail Shikamaru first. Shikamaru was way too familiar with Naruto and his chakra, so it was very hard to keep the ANBU from noticing him. Naruto was sure that Shikamaru knew he was being followed, but he hadn't let on. Naruto decided it was best to leave before Shikamaru sent for someone to drag him back to the village, and had chosen a different route to take. He hadn't planned on tailing someone else, but when Naruto realized that Kakashi had left in the direction of Oto, he'd summoned Gamakichi to find out exactly where his former teacher was heading. He hadn't expected to find out that Kiri ninja were so close to Fire Country, however, and Naruto hoped that this was the only direction they'd chosen to come from.

Twilight had fallen by the time the Otogakure gates came into view. Naruto hid himself in the surrounding trees before casting out his senses. Kakashi's chakra was close, and it wasn't the only one Naruto sensed.

"Damn it," Naruto cursed as he launched himself over the closed gate and into the village.

There were five foreign chakra signatures close to Kakashi's, and while Kakashi was an excellent ninja, five against one were very bad odds. It didn't take Naruto long to find his former teacher engaged with the remaining four ninja in what had been Otogakure's main square before Naruto had leveled it. Even though Kakashi had already killed one of the enemy ninja, what little illumination remained showed Naruto that Kakashi had taken quite a few hits. His grey hair was speckled with blood, as was his uniform. His Sharingan eye was exposed, but there was a large cut above it that was bleeding quite a bit. Kakashi's Chidori lit up the twilight and he wasted no time in plunging it into his opponent's chest. Unfortunately, his other two opponents chose that time to circle and come at Kakashi from behind.

Naruto was in front of them before they had a chance to sense his chakra. He had three kunai out and in the air before he landed. The ninja evaded then, as expected. Fortunately for him, he'd cloned three more, which popped into existence the minute the others were blocked. The kunai hit the ninja, but none managed to hit vital spots.

"It's the monster!" one of them said.

Naruto bared his teeth, which actually made the ninja jump. "You'll be dead in a little bit, so I don't care what you call me."

Behind him, Naruto could hear Kakashi fighting with the remaining ninja.

"You're disobeying orders, Uzumaki," Kakashi said, his voice strained.

"I'm suspended, Kakashi, so I get to do whatever the hell I want."

"Tell that to the Hokage when you get back to the village," Kakashi said.

"If I get back," Naruto muttered. "She'll understand," Naruto added a bit louder so Kakashi could hear. "What else can she do, strip me of my rank?"

One of the ninja he was fighting tried a genjutsu on him, but Naruto quickly dispelled it. His partner tried another genjutsu, but Naruto dispelled it as well. He was glad that he'd taken the time to train with Kurenai or else he'd be very susceptible to the illusions.

"Tsunade-san did say she'd do that the last time you disobeyed orders and almost got yourself killed, remember?" Kakashi asked over the sound of metal hitting metal as his opponent fought him with a rather wicked looking sword.

His two opponents came at him, one from each direction, and Naruto decided to stop fooling around.

"Then I guess I'll just have to not get myself killed," Naruto replied.

He cloned himself and then added his special twist to the clone technique: mimic. Utilizing the fox's chakra, Naruto could make his clone mimic what he was doing, down to gathering chakra in his right hand for Rasengan. Both Narutos grinned as the enemy ninja realized what was about to be done to them. They tried to dodge, but Naruto and his clone were too fast. The Rasengan sent the ninja into the air, and they were dead when they hit the ground.

Naruto turned in time to see Kakashi's remaining opponent crumple to the ground, a kunai in his throat. Naruto had gotten hit in a couple of places, but they were minor injuries that would be healed in a bit. Kakashi, on the other hand, was a lot worse off.

"You're supposed to be in the hospital," Kakashi said as Naruto reached his side.

"I don't like hospitals," Naruto replied. "Besides, I couldn't let you have all the fun. Sit down so I can take a look at the state you're in."

Naruto ran the diagnostic technique that Tsunade had made him learn and was glad to see that Kakashi looked much worse off than he actually was. There was one minor complication, though.

"You have a serious blow to the back of your head," Naruto said.

Kakashi wiped the blood that was still flowing from the cut over his left eye. "I made the acquaintance of that tree over there," he said and pointed to the tree in the middle of the square. "They caught me completely off guard," Kakashi admitted.

"I'm surprised," Naruto said, "you never let anything get past you."

"I was distracted," Kakashi said and his gaze left Naruto to focus on the bodies that still littered the ground around the village. "I hadn't expected this."

Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat as he also looked around. "I don't remember doing this, but I'm sure the fox enjoyed it."

"You did this?" Kakashi asked, the surprise evident in his voice.

"Like I said, I don't remember, but who else could have? I remember meeting Kabuto at the gate, but my memory blacks out halfway through the fight and then returns when I engaged Orochimaru."

"Did the fox take over?" Kakashi asked, worried.

"It must have. I know it tried when I was fighting Orochimaru, but I fought it off."

It hurt not to know what happened, not to be sure of what he had or hadn't done. He wanted to regain the memories, but every time he tried to tap into the missing pieces it felt like hitting a wall that he couldn't penetrate.

Kakashi got to his feet. He swayed a bit and then steadied himself.

"Where do you think you're going?" Naruto said.

"These five were an advance squad," Kakashi said, motioning to the five dead ninja. "We need to find out how many are in the main body. They have to be very close and we can't go back to Konoha until we find out how many there are."

"Are you insane?" Naruto said. "Your brain could be swelling from that blow, and it probably is since you can't seem to stop swaying. We need to get you back to a medic that can take care of you."

"I outrank you, Uzumaki," Kakashi said.

Naruto bristled at having rank pulled on him. "Fine, Hatake, but if you keel over because you're too stubborn to get help, don't haunt me after you're dead."

Kakashi grinned at the idea. "I'll just have to find something else to haunt you over."

&&&&

Sasuke was tired, but felt a sense of accomplishment by the time he'd crossed the gates into his neighborhood after his first day of work. For the first time, he didn't have an ulterior motive, didn't have to do what he was doing because it was a stepping stone in the direction he needed to go in. Sasuke found the lack of an all-consuming motive to rule his life frightening, especially when he realized that the last time he'd felt this way was when he was a child.

He missed being a ninja. That was his chosen profession and what he was best suited for. He was better than many of the ninja in Konoha and could be an asset to the village if given the chance to prove that he was not going to betray the village again. Since that wasn't an option for him, Sasuke was glad that Inoue-san had given him the opportunity to return to his shop and work for as long as he needed the job. He still planned on keeping up his ninja skills; he just had to find a way to do it that wouldn't make the Hokage think he was planning on hurting someone.

Sasuke smiled as the smell of miso ramen wafted up to his nose from the container in his arms. Inoue-san had paid him for his work, and like a child with his first allowance, Sasuke had decided to treat himself to dinner. He'd gone to Ichiraku because that had been the only place he'd not been turned away from. He almost expected the owner to refuse him service because Naruto wasn't with him, but he'd been surprised when the man had welcomed him in and taken his order. Sasuke hadn't wanted to push his luck or scare customers away, so he'd asked for the ramen to go. He'd had a bad reaction to the food when he'd eaten it just a few days ago, so he was determined to get past that memory and maybe even get to like the food that Naruto loved so much.

As Sasuke released the seal he'd placed around his house, it occurred to him that Tebiki had yet to return with news of Naruto. While that didn't mean that there was trouble, Tebiki's tracking skills were exceptional so finding Naruto should not have been difficult. Unless the snake had decided to lay low and not return to him immediately to get back at him for the work Sasuke had made him do over the past couple of days. Most of his summons required a price, though none quite as steep as the human lives Manda demanded. Tebiki had yet to ask him for payment for his services, but the snake did have a tendency to ignore Sasuke for a while if he thought he was being overworked.

Once inside, Sasuke left his dinner in the kitchen and went out to the inner courtyard to walk the perimeter of the house, as he'd taken to doing since the snakes had been left in his bedroom. He found no signs of forced entry until he got to the dojo. The seal he'd placed on the door had been broken, and no attempt had been made to cover it up. Sasuke reached for the doors but recoiled before he touched them. The sound of bodies hitting the ground was very loud in his memory, and was then followed by the very real sound of a body hitting the ground just beyond the doors.

Pushing the childhood fears aside, Sasuke threw open the doors and stepped inside. He'd only taken a few steps when he froze. The light shining through the window illuminated a body in a pool of blood, and Sasuke's eyes were drawn to the pink, blood-stained hair that shimmered almost white in the moonlight.

"Sakura," he whispered.

There was someone else in the room. The chakra was familiar to Sasuke, but it was being disguised and he couldn't quite place it.

"Who are you?" Sasuke demanded. "Step into the light where I can see you, coward."

The man chuckled, but remained in the shadows. The dojo was a medium sized room and it had only two exits: the window and the door Sasuke stood in front of. The intruder had few options for escape, which was fine with Sasuke, because he wasn't letting the man go. He spared a glance at Sakura, but couldn't see from where he stood whether she was breathing or not. His eyes were slowly adjusting to the semi-darkness, and he could now see the outline of the intruder. He wasn't armed, but Sasuke didn't need physical weapons. His chakra alone could do as much damage.

He gathered chakra in his left hand and charged when the Chidori was ready. The intruder vanished, but Sasuke was able to track the movements with the Sharingan. The intruder appeared to his right and threw two kunai, which Sasuke easily dodged. Chidori was no use to him if the opponent kept moving, so Sasuke compressed the chakra in his hand until it was as small as a pellet. When the intruder appeared to his left this time, Sasuke threw the pellet. It missed its intended target but hit the man in the shoulder. Once the chakra pellet made contact, the chakra exploded and left a hole in his opponent's shoulder.

"Son of a bitch!" the man yelled as he clutched the wounded shoulder.

The intruder stumbled into the light, but his head was covered by a mask. There were no other distinguishing marks on the man, except for a wisp of light colored hair that had come out of its binding. The man vanished again and reappeared at the other side of the room. Sasuke was in front of him in three steps and slammed the intruder into the wall, where he vanished in a puff of smoke.

_A clone?_

Before Sasuke could turn around to look for the real intruder, a kunai was driven between his shoulder blades. He gasped and managed to pull away from the intruder. His reflexes were slowed, however, and he wasn't able to do much about the second kunai, this one impaled in his side. The intruder grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled Sasuke towards him. The man pulled the kunai out of Sasuke's back and then held it against Sasuke's throat.

"You are the coward, Sasuke-kun, and you will pay for what you did to Orochimaru-sama."

Sasuke's eyes widened as the man's identity became clear.

"You're supposed to be dead," Sasuke said.

Kabuto laughed. "Not as dead as you will be soon. Rest assured, Sasuke-kun, that the blonde nuisance will follow you in death."

Sasuke was thrown to the middle of the room, where he landed on Sakura's legs. He pulled the kunai out of his side and tried to push himself up, but his hands slipped on the blood underneath him. Kabuto kneeled beside Sasuke and used a knee to the chest to keep Sasuke in place. He rummaged in the sack strapped to his hip and pulled out two snakes, which Sasuke immediately recognized as part of Kabuto's poisonous, genetically engineered breed.

"Orochimaru-sama offered you immortality and you killed him. I'll leave you with a token gift of the life you turned away from."

Kabuto let the snakes go and disappeared. The snakes landed on Sasuke's legs and he managed to decapitate one with the kunai before it had a chance to bite. He wasn't fast enough with the second one, however, and it bit the inside of his right thigh. Sasuke killed it as well, but not before it had done its damage.

_Where the hell are the ANBU? _Sasuke wondered. _Aren't they supposed to be keeping an eye on me? _

Konoha ANBU couldn't be that dense, could they? As a last ditch effort to draw the attention of the ANBU that should be around, Sasuke threw the bloody kunai at the window and shattered it. The noise alone should be enough to bring someone into the house.

Sasuke could already feel the poison working its way through his body, but he managed to get off of Sakura's legs and make his way towards her head. There was a lot of blood on the ground, but it was still fresh, so she couldn't have been in the room for long. He first felt her neck and was relieved when he felt a pulse. He could see a gash along her side, which was probably where most of the blood had come from. If she was still alive, then there was a good chance that the wound, while bleeding heavily, was not fatal. All he had to do was get her to a doctor, or get a doctor to her, and she'd be fine. He lifted his sleeve and ran his bloody finger over the snake summon seal, but stopped before performing any of the seals. Who would he summon? Tebiki was the only snake that would do as he asked, and he'd sent it to find Naruto.

"I dragged you into this mess, Sakura, and I can't get you out," Sasuke said as he brushed Sakura's hair away from her face with bloody fingers. "I'm sorry."

&&&&

They'd been traveling for an hour when Kakashi came to an abrupt stop. Naruto landed beside his former teacher and crouched, senses open and alert.

"Do you see that?" Kakashi asked, pointing to an occasional glint of moonlight against metal in the distance.

"That's got to be them," Naruto said.

"Stupid," Kakashi muttered, "but they expect to be in friendly territory so they see no need to hide themselves. That should make it a little easier for us." He prepared to take off again, but Naruto grabbed him before Kakashi could jump off the tree.

"What are you doing?" Kakashi asked as Naruto pulled him back down and turned Kakashi's head so he could take a look at the wound.

"The back of your head is covered in blood and the wound is still bleeding," Naruto said as he moved some of the hair aside to take a closer look at the gash. "If you keep exerting yourself, you're going to pass out and I already told you I'm not going to carry you back to the village."

Kakashi let out an annoyed sigh. "What do you suggest we do instead?" he asked, not bothering to hide the sarcasm. "We can't go home yet."

"I know that," Naruto said as he found the wound about three inches away from Kakashi's right ear. He pushed Kakashi's head down to better see the wound and his fingers got a little too close to it, which made Kakashi hiss in pain.

"Sorry about that," Naruto said, to which Kakashi grumbled.

When Naruto was satisfied that Kakashi's brain wasn't exposed to the elements, he let the man's head go.

"My clones can do the reconnaissance while we wait here," Naruto suggested. "It won't take them long to get a rough estimate on their numbers. We can go back to the village then."

It was a testament to how much the head injury was affecting Kakashi when the older man nodded his agreement at the suggestion. Not wanting to wait for Kakashi to change his mind, Naruto summoned two clones and sent them off. He settled on the branch to wait, letting Kakashi have the spot closer to the trunk so he could lean against it.

"You still haven't told me why you're here, Naruto. Tsunade-sama is going to be furious when she finds out you not only left the hospital but left the village."

Naruto winced as an image of a very angry Tsunade entered his mind. She wasn't going to take it well, that was for sure, and he had to admit that he was pushing his luck, especially since his last escapade outside of the village.

"They attacked me first, Kakashi," Naruto said. "I couldn't let you and the others come out here and risk your lives by yourselves."

"So why follow me, then? Why not bug Shikamaru or Neji?" Kakashi asked.

"Are you kidding? Shikamaru would send me back and Neji is no fun to be around. Besides, you're a lot more fun to irritate."

The lapsed into silence as they waited for the clones to return. Naruto kept his focus on the distance, but every now and then would shift his attention to Kakashi, who was fighting not to fall asleep. The concussion was severe and needed attention that Naruto couldn't give it, but losing consciousness was the last thing Kakashi needed to do. He turned to engage Kakashi in conversation but found the older man staring at him, eye wide.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked. He didn't sense anyone else around.

"There's a snake on your shoulder," Kakashi pointed out.

Naruto jerked in surprise and found himself staring at the same snake that he'd become acquainted with a few nights ago. It flicked its tongue out at him.

"Stop doing that!" Naruto yelled. "Can't you announce yourself first?"

The snake hissed at him. "It's amusing to catch you people off guard. It's like you've never seen snakes before."

"Maybe it's just that we don't like snakes," Naruto muttered.

"You know that snake?" Kakashi asked Naruto.

"Yeah, it's one of Sasuke's summons," Naruto said. "What do you want?" he asked the snake.

The snake slithered off Naruto's shoulder and onto the branch between Naruto and Kakashi. It studied Kakashi for a bit before returning its attention to Naruto.

"Sasuke sent me to find you. Your pink-haired friend was worried that you'd gone off and done something stupid," the snake said.

"Was she?" Naurto asked unable to help a small smile. "Hey, what do you mean gone off to do something stupid?" Naruto asked when the snake's words sunk in. "You little…"

"You found him, now what?" Kakashi asked, interrupting before Naruto and the snake got any further.

"Now I tell Sasuke that the blonde is still in one piece. It's beyond me why Sasuke cares so much, but ever since I've known the brat, this kid has always come up in conversation," the snake said to Kakashi. "I thought he'd be taller." it added.

Naruto threw a rock at the snake, but it slithered out of the way. "I didn't know snakes could track from scent," Naruto said.

"Each one of us has a purpose," the snake said as if that answered everything, and then added "I followed your chakra, not your scent."

Naruto glanced at Kakashi, who shrugged. He apparently hadn't known about chakra tracking snakes either.

"As entertaining as this has been, I've done my job," the snake said and popped out of existence.

"That was interesting," Naruto said. "Is it just me, or does that snake's personality match Sasuke's?"

Kakashi smiled. "No wonder they get along."

The clones chose that moment to return, and Naruto couldn't help but feel a bit of pride that neither had been discovered or destroyed.

"There are well over one hundred ninja gathered," the clone closest to Naruto said. "They plan on stopping at Otogakure for a day to replenish supplies."

"That's not the only thing," the other clone said. "There is another platoon coming from the West. They'll reach Konoha first."

Naruto's eyes widened and he shot to his feet. He thanked the clones for their work and dismissed them. "We need to go back."

Kakashi nodded his agreement and got to his feet. He swayed and would have fallen off the branch if Naruto hadn't grabbed onto the back of Kakashi's vest.

"Don't pass out, Kakashi. Remember, I'm not carrying you back."

Kakashi took a few moments to recover. When he was ready, he took to the trees, leaving Naruto staring after him.

"Don't be late," Kakashi shouted and disappeared in the direction of the welcoming forests of Fire Country.

&&&&

There are two to three, maybe four, chapters to go. My plan is to have this finished by the end of the year, which will be a freaking record for me. The last story I finished took me 4 years to write.


	12. A Crack in the Wall

Greetings!

Here is the next chapter. I don't have much to say about this one except: enjoy!

**Reviews**: Thank you to all who reviewed! SpacePirateGirl: thanks for the message. I like your view on reviews. :o) I think it's very healthy.

**Warnings**: some language, not too bad though.

&&&&

**Chapter 12: A Crack in the Wall**

Morino Ibiki had left his office intent on going home and forgetting about the disastrous day he'd had, but had ended at the front gates of the Uchiha neighborhood instead. He hadn't been to the place in ten years, not since shortly after the clan had been murdered. It had been a gruesome sight back then with the freshly dead bodies and the spilled blood littering almost every open space in the neighborhood. The dilapidated and run-down buildings that marked the neighborhood now, along with the old bloodstains and air of death that surrounded the place, didn't make it any less gruesome.

Ibiki had yet to become head of the interrogation force back then, but he had already been well known for his ability to read people and extract information from them. He had been summoned by the third Hokage to talk to Uchiha Sasuke, the sole survivor of the massacre, and ensure that Sasuke was not an accomplice in the killings. One look at the boy had told Ibiki everything he needed to know: Uchiha had been in shock, and had refused to say much about what happened. This had become a concern for the Hokage, because he'd known Uchiha to be an open and friendly boy. It had taken several attempts, but they'd finally managed to get the killer's identity out of the boy. Ibiki still remembered his surprise, and the Hokage's disappointment, that the killer had been one of their own.

_Ironic that I get the details about the massacre I wanted then out of Uchiha when I was interrogating him for something else_, Ibiki thought.

Ibiki's mind flashed back to earlier that morning when he'd been conducting the interrogation. The young man had resisted, as had been expected. The level of resistance, however, had not been expected and Ibiki was forced to use unorthodox and risky methods he liked to save for the worst of offenders. He'd ultimately gotten the information he wanted out of Uchiha, but it was the information that he hadn't wanted that had been with Ibiki ever since.

_Brother, why did you kill everyone? Please, brother, don't kill me."_

The words were those of a child, uttered with the confusion and fear of an eight-year-old struggling to comprehend why his brother had just killed his entire family, instead of the cold, calculating words of an eighteen-year-old traitor that Ibiki had expected. Ibiki had done his best to erase them from his memory, but they kept coming back to haunt him.

He stood in front of the open gates for a few moments, debating whether he should go inside. He had no business here and did not want to run into Uchiha gain, but he had come all this way and was curious as to how different the place was after so many years of neglect. Ibiki stepped into the neighborhood before he could change his mind. The darkness of the place covered him immediately, giving him a feeling of unease that had nothing to do with the desolation of the place.

Ibiki felt faint traces of chakra in the air, as was common after a fight had taken place. He headed in the direction he thought the chakra had originated, and it wasn't long before he was standing in front of the building that used to house the Uchiha clan head's family. The traces of chakra were stronger here, and Ibiki identified one trace as belonging to Watanabe Hiro, an ANBU he'd been on several missions with. Hiro was one of the ANBU currently guarding Uchiha, along with Yamana Shin.

The house that Uchiha Sasuke now lived in by himself was dark, so Ibiki leaped onto the roof to get a better look around the premise. When he landed, Ibiki stepped on something that cracked under his foot. He picked up the object and held it up to the moonlight. His breath caught in his throat when he identified it as a tiger ANBU mask. Ibiki didn't have to search long to find the mask's owner. The man was on his side, but Ibiki had no trouble seeing the kunai sticking out of his chest. He found Shin, the other ANBU guarding Uchiha, towards the back of the house on his stomach with two kunai stuck in his back. The amount of blood surrounding him left no doubt that the man was dead.

Had Uchiha done this to his guards? The ANBU had been taken out quickly, a feat that Ibiki had no doubt Uchiha could accomplish. He wasn't supposed to have any weapons, but that was something Uchiha could easily get around if he so chose.

Fighting to control his anger at the senseless deaths of two good men, Ibiki jumped off the roof and into the inner courtyard of the house. He landed on shards of glass that he quickly identified as belonging to the broken window of the room closest to him. A kunai covered in blood had been imbedded into the soil in front of him and Ibiki kneeled to examine it. He found faint traces of chakra on it; chakra that did not belong to either of the two ANBU. Ibiki made his way to the broken window and peered inside. Fresh blood covered the floor, but there was no one inside. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Ibiki noticed the bloody footprints that led out of the room through the still open door. They were uneven, as if the person that made them had staggered out of the room.

Ibiki took a kunai out of his weapon pouch and held it ready as he turned the corner and came to the front of the room. The footprints continued and then disappeared around another corner. Ibiki followed, careful not to disturb the scene. As he came around the next corner, he saw a man silhouetted against the moonlight. He was staggering with the weight of the person he was carrying.

"Stop!" Ibiki yelled.

The man took a few more steps and then came to a stop.

Ibiki approached the man slowly, and it wasn't until Ibiki was within touching distance that he realized he was looking at Uchiha Sasuke. Once Ibiki had walked around to face the young man, he noticed Haruno Sakura in his arms. She was unconscious and her clothing was covered with blood.

"Did you do this to her?" Ibiki asked. "Did you kill the ANBU?"

Uchiha did not respond. His eyes were glossy and unfocused, as if he were lost in another world and hadn't even realized that Ibiki was standing in front of him.

"Answer me, Uchiha, did you do this?"

Again, there was no response. It wasn't until Ibiki tried to take Haruno from Uchiha's arms that he got a reaction.

"No," Uchiha said, "I need to get her to a doctor."

Uchiha blinked up at Ibiki and his eyes widened when he recognized who he was staring at.

"You can get her to a hospital," Uchiha said and extended his arms so that Ibiki would take Haruno, a stark contrast from when he wouldn't let her go earlier. "She's bleeding too much, please help her."

Ibiki took Haruno from Uchiha and placed her on the ground. He checked for a pulse and was relieved when he found one. He grabbed Uchiha by the front of his shirt and pulled him forward.

"Did you do this, Uchiha?" Ibiki asked once again and the young man shook his head, but did not provide an explanation.

Irritated, Ibiki pushed Uchiha against the wall. Uchiha gasped and arched away from the wall, his face contorting in pain. Ibiki pulled him into the light and turned him around. The back of his shirt was covered in blood and, when Ibiki lifted it, he saw a deep wound between Uchiha's shoulder blades and another one close to the ribcage. They were both still bleeding freely.

"Help Sakura," Uchiha said. "She's going to bleed to death."

Ibiki turned Uchiha around once again so that they were facing each other and released him. The young man wasn't looking at Ibiki; instead, his eyes were on Haruno.

"It looks like you're both going to bleed to death," Ibiki said.

"Not me," Uchiha said as he turned away from the girl, "poison."

Ibiki looked down to where Uchiha was clutching his thigh. He pulled the boy's hand away and cut the fabric with the kunai to reveal a nasty and already swollen wound. What the hell had bitten him?

"Take Sakura," Uchiha insisted, "hurry."

"You'll die if I leave you here," Ibiki said.

"It would be fitting, don't you think, that I die here with the rest of my clan?" Uchiha asked.

"Death is the coward's way out, Uchiha."

Ibiki picked Haruno up and placed her over his right shoulder. He did the same for Uchiha but placed him over his left shoulder. He steadied them with a hand on their lower back and took off towards the hospital.

"Who attacked you?" Ibiki asked en route, having abandoned his theory that Uchiha had murdered the two ANBU when he'd seen the young man's injuries.

"Yakushi Kabuto," Uchiha replied. "He's still alive."

"What did he want with you?" Ibiki asked. "Wasn't he your ally?"

"Orochimaru is dead," Uchiha replied after a pause, his voice soft, almost inaudible. "Kabuto's allegiance was to him, not me. He wanted revenge for Orochimaru and he's going to go after Naruto as well."

Ibiki shook his head. This new generation of brats and their problems was going to drive him into retirement sooner rather than later. He dropped them off at the hospital and would have immediately left if not for the nurse's insistence that he be checked out.

"The blood isn't mine, it's theirs," he said when the nurse pointed at his uniform and took advantage of her shock to make his retreat. He had a report to deliver and another traitor to hunt down.

&&&&

Tsunade was beginning to seriously wonder about the security of her village. In the last week, the village had been infiltrated by enemy ninja and a former traitor had come back to life and had apparently had no trouble infiltrating the village either. Never one to believe in coincidences, Tsunade had to wonder how the two incidents were connected. Kirigakure had an alliance with Oto so could Kabuto now be directing their movements in Orochimaru's place?

"How are they?" Jiraiya asked as he entered the room where both Sakura and Sasuke had been placed.

"Lucky," Tsunade replied.

She got up from where she'd made herself comfortable in the middle of the room and drew Jiraiya as far away from the beds as she could manage and still be in the same room.

"Sakura's wound bled heavily and she almost died from the blood loss. Kabuto sedated her to keep her unconscious and unable to heal herself," Tsunade explained. "Sasuke's wounds were a bit more severe, but nothing compared to the snake bite. As arrogant as Kabuto is, he didn't count on Sasuke hanging on as long as he did, or else he'd have taken the snakes with him to keep Shizune from making an antidote. He should be waking up any time soon."

Jiraiya looked towards both youngsters and sighed. Tsunade sympathized. The sun hadn't even risen and she already had a splitting headache.

"Where's Naruto?" Jiraiya asked. "I would have thought he'd be right in the middle of everything."

Tsunade clenched her jaw. "Naruto is not here."

Jiraiya turned to her. "I just said that, Tsunade."

"You don't understand, Jiraiya, your idiotic, hard-headed student is not in the village."

"What do you mean he's not in the village? Did you send him on a mission?"

Tsunade resisted the urge to take her anger at Naruto out on his equally dim-witted teacher. "I sent for him as soon as Ibiki told me about what happened, but he could not be found. Once I was sure that Sakura and Sasuke were both out of danger, I went to look for him myself. He's not in the village."

Jiraiya looked puzzled for a few moments, until understanding lit his eyes. "He went after the three you sent on reconnaissance," he said.

"Exactly. Uchiha told Ibiki that Kabuto was going to go after Naruto next, so you better get out there, find him, and drag his ass back here so we can keep an eye on him. Naruto isn't always rational when it comes to Kabuto, and we can't afford to have him lose control of the fox right now."

They were interrupted by the unmistakable sound of a summoned creature making an appearance. They hurried back to the beds to find a very familiar snake coiled on Sasuke's chest.

"I thought the ninja was supposed to be awake to summon a creature," Jiraiya muttered.

The snake turned to them. "What happened?" it asked.

Tsunade shrugged. "What are you doing here?" she countered.

The snake looked from one ninja to the other and then back to Sasuke. "I don't have to answer your questions," it said. "I can talk to Sasuke later."

"Wait."

Tsunade turned to see Sakura struggling to a sitting position. She helped her student until Sakura could sit on her own.

"Sasuke sent him to find Naruto," Sakura said. "We got worried when we couldn't find him."

Both sannin turned towards the snake once again. "You know where Naruto is?"

"Tell me what happened to the Uchiha brat and I might tell you," the snake said.

"First, what is your allegiance to Yakushi Kabuto?" Tsunade asked.

The snake slithered towards Sasuke's feet so that it was closer to them. "My allegiance is to whoever has a contract with me. Right now, the only one in this brat," it replied as it fully extended itself to lie alongside Sasuke. The snake was long enough that its tail reached Sasuke's neck.

"Kabuto snuck into the village and attacked these two," Tsunade explained. "He tried to poison Sasuke, but we got him an antidote in time. He should be fine."

"Where is Naruto?" Sakura asked.

The snake turned to her. "He's close to Otogakure and traveling with a white-haired ninja with one eye."

"Are they injured?" Jiraiya asked.

"The white-haired ninja is." The snake coiled its body once again. "Tell Sasuke not to bother summoning me for a while," the snake told Sakura. "I'm not going to answer," it added and disappeared.

Sakura's shoulders slumped and she lay down once again. "At least he's okay," she said and then turned to Sasuke. "How did he Sasuke get hurt? Is he going to be okay?"

"He'll be fine," Tsunade replied. "I expected him to wake up before you did. What happened, Sakura?"

Sakura's eyes momentarily lost focus as she tried to remember. "I was getting ready for bed when someone came into my apartment. Before I could grab any of my weapons, he'd stabbed me. I don't remember much after that."

Tsunade told Sakura what she knew about the incident, and the young woman became agitated at the thought of Kabuto still on the loose and after Naruto. Tsunade persuaded her to go back to sleep, and it was an indication of how tired she was when she complied. When Tsunade was sure that Sakura was asleep again, she addressed Jiraiya.

"Go after Kakashi and Naruto and bring them back. Ibiki is actively looking for Kabuto, but if you engage him first, kill him before Naruto has a change to confront him again."

Jiraiya nodded and disappeared. Tsunade sighed. No one said being Hokage would be easy, but lately it seemed as if one problem was simply compounded on top of another. Now she had two dead ANBU, two injured jounin, one missing jounin, an injured ex-traitor, and another traitor on the loose. Add that to the possibility of an attack by Kirigakure, and she'd be lucky to pull the village through another week.

She posted two guards outside of the room and sealed it so that she'd be alerted if anyone other than the hospital staff or the guards entered the room. She wasn't taking any chances this time.

&&&&

Sakura's eyes opened once she was sure that Tsunade-sama wasn't going to return. She stared at the ceiling for some time, fighting the dizziness that she knew was due to severe blood loss. She touched her side, where she could feel the bandages underneath the robe she was wearing and sighed. She really didn't remember anything other than the surprise at finding Kabuto in her apartment. She'd been brushing her hair in front of the bathroom mirror when he'd attacked her. She'd seen his face, turned to face him, and then he'd stabbed her. She remembered pain and then nothing. Whatever drug he'd given her worked very well, but it had also allowed the renegade med-nin to use her against Sasuke.

She turned her head and stared at her ex-teammate. He was still unconscious, but didn't look as bad as he had after the interrogation. Tsunade-sama had told her that Kabuto had taken her to Sasuke's house where Ibiki had later found them both, but the Hokage hadn't given her many details about what transpired between Kabuto and Sasuke. Then again, Sasuke was probably the only one that knew the details. If history was any indication, whatever happened would stay between Kabuto and Sasuke.

Sakura turned away from Sasuke and wished that there was a faster way to replenish the blood she'd lost so she could get out of bed and do something useful. Shizune had no doubt already given her something to help, but the process would take time. Sakura just hated the feeling of helplessness and vulnerability that came with being a patient. The last time she'd been in the hospital, Naruto had told her that she was a lousy patient. Sakura could still see the look of horror on his face after he'd said it, and he'd fallen all over himself to apologize.

They had been close to Otogakure and had encountered some resistance. The fox had gotten a little out of control, and in the process of reminding Naruto that he was human, Sakura had gotten hurt. She'd been in the hospital for a week, and Naruto had spent almost every waking hour with her. Naruto refused to give up on his guilt no matter how many times Sakura told him that she didn't blame him. His consideration for her, and his desire to take care of her, had been sweet and appreciated, and Sakura had learned a lot about him during that week. Naruto had opened up for the first time since she'd known him, and she'd taken what she'd learned about him as the gift it was.

She doubted that the same could be said for Sasuke, who was too used to putting up walls and keeping people out of reach. Sakura would like for him to trust her, to confide in her, but she wasn't the lovesick child she had been who believed that she could change him into what she wanted. She accepted him the way he was, even if there had to be a wall between them.

"Enough of this," she muttered to herself and slowly worked her way to a sitting position. Her head pounded, and she had to close her eyes until the throbbing died down to a bearable level. She had gotten her right foot on the floor when Sasuke's voice startled her.

"The medic-nins must have spent quite a lot of time healing you. You wouldn't want to spoil their work, would you?"

Sakura turned to meet Sasuke's eyes and was surprised by the relief she saw in them.

"You lost a lot of blood, Sakura; you should rest until it's replenished," he added.

Sakura's cheeks flushed slightly at having been caught disobeying doctor's orders.

"I hate being like this," Sakura said. "I'm no use to anyone and Kabuto is still out there and is going after Naruto."

Sasuke's eyes darkened and he turned away from her. "I know that," he said, his voice cold. "I wasn't strong enough to kill Kabuto, and so I put you and Naruto in danger."

"I didn't mean…" Sakura started to say but stopped herself. Sasuke would take her words however he wanted and nothing she said would change that. She'd at least learned that much from being his teammate. She got her other foot on the ground and shivered at the sudden chill in the room.

Sakura pulled the blanket around her shoulders and stared at the back of Sasuke's head, willing him to turn back to face her. When he didn't, she slumped in defeat.

"I'm sorry," Sakura said when the silence got to her.

Sasuke turned to her then, his eyes wide. He struggled up to a sitting position as well and then gave her his full attention. "What are you sorry about?"

"Kabuto used me as a distraction to get to you," Sakura said. "If I'd been stronger…"

"Stop it," Sasuke said, his voice unusually agitated. "Before you continue to go down that path, let me remind you how this all came about. I left my village and joined with Orochimaru and Kabuto of my own free will. Orochimaru is now dead and I'm still alive. In my book, Kabuto is very much entitled to his hatred for me and his desire for vengeance. It's his involvement of you and Naruto that I disagree with. It's the reason why having people to care about is a bad idea, because all it can bring them is pain at best and an early death at worst."

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise that Sasuke had said all of that, and then they narrowed in anger when the meaning sank in.

"Is that all Naruto and I are to you, liabilities?" Sakura asked, her hands clenched into fists. "Don't you dare belittle us and our abilities and think that it's your responsibility to keep us safe, simply because it makes you feel better about pushing us away. We're ninja, just like you, and have accepted the consequences of that career choice, just like you. We're good at what we do. The fact that you're even here should be proof enough of that."

Sakura's hand flew to her mouth in horror at what she'd said. She opened her mouth to apologize again, but Sasuke's raised hand stopped her.

"You're right," he said, and Sakura wished she had a camera because he actually looked embarrassed. "I'd be a fool not to see how the two of you have grown, matured, and become stronger. I don't think you're liabilities, I just don't know…"

Sasuke trailed off and broke eye contact with her. He shifted on the bed until he was leaning sideways against the headboard. Sakura knew what he wanted to say and was tempted to finish the sentence for him, but this conversation wouldn't mean anything if he couldn't say the words himself.

"I've been pushing you two away for 6 years with absolutely no success," Sasuke said after a long pause. "Why couldn't you have taken the hint and left me alone? Wouldn't your lives have been easier if you had?"

Sakura got shakily to her feet and walked to Sasuke's bed. She sat down next to him, staring until he looked at her again.

"You grew on us, and it just wasn't the same after you left," Sakura said. "Our team, our friendship, was missing a piece and we weren't going to be happy until we got it back. Now that you are back, can we please start over? We're at a different place in our lives and have done away with a lot of our childhood baggage. Would you be willing to give this friendship thing Naruto and I keep talking about a try?"

Sasuke contemplated her request for a long moment before replying. "I will try."

Sakura beamed. "That's all I ask. Naruto is going to be very pleased."

At the mention of Naruto, Sasuke became concerned.

"Your snake came back, by the way," Sakura informed him. "It said that Naruto was with Kakashi somewhere close to Otogakure. Kakashi is injured but Naruto is fine."

"Why would they go to Otogakure?" Sasuke asked.

"Kakashi was sent to do reconnaissance and I think Naruto caught up to him at some point. Tsunade-sama sent Jiraiya after them."

"Let's hope they make it back in one piece."

&&&&

Naruto and Kakashi had been traveling for a day and had almost reached the halfway point in their journey. Naruto had suggested that they take a break several times so that Kakashi could rest, but the older ninja had refused to stop. Whether it was because he wanted to get back to Konoha as soon as possible or because Kakashi was afraid that if he stopped he'd be unable to continue, Naruto would never know. Kakashi had been silent the entire journey, which had given Naruto plenty of time to think back to the events of the past few days.

As annoying as Sasuke's snake was, it had said one thing that kept going through Naruto's mind: _It's beyond me why Sasuke cares so much, but ever since I've known the brat, this kid has always come up in conversation_

Naruto still wasn't sure what to make of the statement. Part of him felt as if he'd imagined the whole thing, or had somehow heard what he'd wanted to hear, because the thought of Sasuke actually caring about what happened to him was a little hard to believe. Sasuke had done everything to alienate Naruto since they'd been put on the same team together, and even though Sasuke had admitted to Naruto at the Valley of the End that they did share a bond, the Uchiha heir had still tried to kill him. Then again, Sasuke had saved his life when he'd been attacked by the ninja from Kirigakure, and the fact that he had sent the snake to him once again, even if it was only to find him this time, told Naruto what Sasuke refused to say or even acknowledge.

A smile tugged at Naruto as he realized that the snake had just given him proof that the friendship they had meant as much to Sasuke as it did to Naruto. Naruto knew better than to ever address it or bring it up to Sasuke, but it made him feel a whole lot better about their chances for rebuilding the camaraderie they'd shared as genin. Maybe they weren't doomed after all.

"What are you smiling about?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto's smile transformed into a grin. "Revelations," he replied.

Kakashi frowned at the non-response but didn't pursue it further.

"It's getting late and we need to stop to eat and rest before we get too sloppy and get ourselves killed," Naruto said, expecting to be ignored as he had been the past five times he'd mentioned it.

To his surprise, Kakashi nodded and left the cover of the trees. Both men landed in a small clearing. The surrounding trees sheltered the area, which would allow them to get a fire going.

"We're just stopping to eat, so don't get too comfortable," Kakashi said.

"Whatever you say, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, earning him a glare from Kakashi. "I'm going to get some firewood."

When Naruto returned, Kakashi had settled himself against one of the trees and was munching on an energy bar. Naruto put down his own pack and went about getting their fire going. The night was getting chillier as it progressed, and neither he nor Kakashi were dressed for the chill. Once the fire was going, Naruto held his hands in front of it and allowed himself to bask in its warmth.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Kakashi asked, pointing at Naruto's discarded pack.

"I'm not hungry," Naruto said.

Kakashi's single eyebrow rose in surprise. "You were whining so much about stopping for dinner."

"Yeah, because you looked like you needed a break," Naruto countered.

Kakashi's face was paler than it had been when they'd left Otogakure, and Naruto was willing to bet his next month's salary, if he hadn't been permanently suspended by his latest stunt, that Kakashi's wound was still bleeding. He waited until Kakashi had finished his energy bar before advancing on his former teacher.

"I need to check your wound again," he said.

"The wound is fine, Naruto," Kakashi insisted.

"Of course it is," Naruto said, "that's why your face is whiter than your hair."

That earned him another dirty look, which Naruto shrugged off. He prepared himself to make Kakashi let him take a look at the wound, when the sound of snapping twigs caught their attention.

"Kill the fire," Kakashi said and Naruto used a water technique to put it out.

The moonlight they were left with wasn't much to see by, as most of it was being blocked by the trees. They both took out weapons and stood back to back. They were out in the open, while whoever had managed to track them down was conveniently sheltered in the trees.

"You know fire techniques, don't you Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

"You should know the answer to that since you were the one that taught them to me," Naruto replied. "What do you want me to do?"

"Use the fire as a distraction," Kakashi replied. "He's south of us, about 5 meters. He's not hiding in the trees, so head in that direction and use the fire to lure him to me."

Naruto nodded and followed Kakashi's instructions, using a less powerful version of Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique to lure the attacker towards the clearing. A yelp and movement to Naruto's left indicated that he'd hit the target, but the man was gone by the time Naruto had gotten to his hiding place. Another yell and the clash of metal against metal signaled to Naruto that Kakashi had engaged the intruder.

"What the hell are you trying to do, burn me?"

The indignant yell from the clearing made Naruto run towards it. He knew the voice, but could not imagine what the man it belonged to would be doing out here. When Naruto had made it to the clearing, he found Kakashi holding a kunai to Jiraiya's neck.

"Why were you sneaking around?" Kakashi asked. "You could have just come to us instead of hiding."

"I didn't know it was you," Jiraiya said. He stepped away from the kunai and Kakashi let his hand drop to his side. "You could have been Kabuto."

The name sent a wave of anger rushing through Naruto.

"Kabuto is dead," Naruto said as he stepped into the clearing. "I killed him myself."

Jiraiya turned to him and there was something in the old man's eyes that made Naruto shiver.

"No, he's not. He was just in Konoha," Jiraiya said and Naruto could tell from the expression on his teacher's face that he wasn't going to like what the man was about to say. "He attacked Sakura and Sasuke before he managed to get away."

"What?" Naruto shouted before he could stop himself. He had to forcibly push the panic and concern for his friends into the corner of his brain that held all of the emotions that got in the way of his job while he was on a mission. He couldn't afford to be panicky and sloppy at a time like this. "Are they okay?" Naruto added, his voice devoid of any emotion.

"Yes, they were found in time and are recovering in the hospital. Tsunade sent me to drag you both back to the village, considering that you shouldn't have even left," Jiraiya said, pointing his kunai at Naruto.

"We need to find Kabuto," Naruto said. "Jiraiya, can you take Kakashi back to the village? He's injured."

"You're not going anywhere," Kakashi said. "We all go back to the village."

"Ibiki is already looking for Kabuto," Jiraiya said.

"Ibiki?" Kakashi asked, his surprise matching Naruto's.

"Ibiki was the one who found Sasuke and Sakura. He reported the incident to Tsunade and told her that he'd take care of the traitor. Tsunade didn't get much chance to argue with him, because he left right away."

"Ibiki hates Sasuke," Naruto said, unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice. "He was probably just offended that a rouge ninja infiltrated the village. He's not going to be able to find him, not like I could."

Jiraiya left Kakashi's side and stopped in front of Naruto. Naruto stared into the eyes of his teacher, unable to remember the last time Jiraiya had looked so serious.

"What's more important to you, Naruto, revenge or your friends?" Jiraiya asked.

Naruto broke eye contact first, picked up his pack, and took to the trees, leaving the other two men behind. He'd make sure that Sasuke and Sakura were doing well first, and then he'd go after Kabuto.

&&&&

As always, don't forget to leave a review.


	13. Calm

Greetings! It's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry about that, but I decided to go back to school to get my Master's degree, and that, combined with my crazy work schedule, left no room for anything else. I'm done with the semester now, so I have free time again.

I have to admit that I've worked on this story so sporadically that I've lost the original intention for it. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure where it's going to go now. There is a second part to this, which I really want to write, but I can't get to that until this one is resolved. Well, it's more of a story based on this universe and not necessarily a continuation of the events in this one, but either way, this one needs to get done.

I also have every intention of looking for a beta for this story, now that ff dot net has that nifty beta finder feature. It would take some of the pressure off of me to have someone else take a look at the chapters before I make them public.

Anyway, I'm hoping I still have an audience. Thanks to those of you who've reviewed and have put the story on your favorites list. It's the only way I have to know that people are still reading.

Enjoy

5/11/08

&

* * *

**Chapter 13: Calm**

They made it back to the village shortly after dawn. Naruto had every intention of going straight to the hospital to check on his friends, but Jiraiya had other ideas.

"Tsunade wants to see you before you go to the hospital," the white-haired ninja said when he caught up to Naruto at the gates.

"It's early and she's not in the office yet," Naruto said. "By the time I check on Sakura and Sasuke, the old lady will have made it to her office and I can talk to her then."

Jiraiya shook his head.

"You will go to her house and talk to her right now, young man," Jiraiya said, and Naruto momentarily felt like five-year-old. "I'll take Kakashi to the hospital from here."

Kakashi's closed eyes and slumped shoulders spoke volumes to the older ninja's condition, and it would do the man no good for Naruto to continue to argue with Jiraiya when Kakashi needed a doctor.

"Fine," Naruto said, putting as much sarcasm into the word as he could. "If she gets mad because I woke her up, I'm going to blame you."

"I think you've already done plenty to earn her ire," Jiraiya countered. "Now get going."

Jiraiya and Kakashi took off towards the hospital, and Naruto stood by the gates looking in the direction they'd gone long after they'd vanished from sight. He was really not looking forward to facing Tsunade, even though he knew that he deserved everything she could possibly say or do to him. He'd made the decision to leave the village knowing full well what the consequences could be, and even if he did end up losing his job for good, it had been worth it just to have helped Kakashi return in one piece.

The Hokage's house was not very far from the tower where she worked. Jiraiya had told him where it was a few years ago, but Naruto had never been invited inside. He felt a bit nervous visiting the Hokage in such a personal setting now, and the fact that she wanted to see him badly enough to see him at her house made Naruto's insides clench in anticipation of the lecture he was sure to get. Naruto had been on the receiving end of her temper plenty of times before, but he had a feeling that it was going to be much worse this time.

Naruto raised his fist to knock on the door of the two-story house, but it was yanked open before he could touch it. Tsunade, dressed in a night gown and robe with her hair down from the usual twin ponytails, grabbed the front of his jacket and pulled him inside. She slammed the door behind him and pushed him into the somewhat messy living area. Tsunade sat on one of the chairs and pointed at a small couch next to the window.

Naruto sat stiffly where he'd been told and studied the room. Crammed bookshelves full of medical texts lined two of the walls, interspersed every now and then with framed photographs of people Naruto didn't know. A fire was going in the fireplace, and the crackling of the logs as they burned was the only sound in the room.

"I should have you fired for this little stunt," Tsunade finally said.

Naruto finally met her eyes and the disappointment he saw in them, along with the softly spoken statement, made Naruto wish that she'd go into one of her tirades and scream at him instead. He could deal with her anger; he didn't know how to deal with her disappointment.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" she added when he remained silent.

"I wanted to help," Naruto finally said. "I did end up helping Kakashi," he added, but his words seem to only make her angrier.

"We have rules for a reason, Naruto."

Naruto's jaw tightened. "No, you have rules for me and then you have rules for everyone else," he snapped. "Because I carry the stupid fox, you want to keep me in the village as much as you can to keep an eye on me."

"You were suspended!" Tsunade finally yelled. "You know that the council and I clash over how tight a leash to keep you on more often than not. I'm the biggest supporter of you being allowed as much freedom as the other ninja of this village, but that stops when I've given you specific instructions not to take on any missions or leave the village. You had broken yet another one my rules, which you were being punished for. You do remember that don't you?"

Naruto breathed slowly through his nose in an attempt to quell the anger that was bubbling up through him. Every argument he'd had with Tsunade about the council's limitations on his missions and the freedom he was allowed was going through his head, and even though he believed that Tsunade had his best interests at heart, the fact that there even needed to be an argument still grated on his nerves.

"Answer me when I ask you a question," Tsunade said.

"Yes, I remember," Naruto said through clenched teeth.

This was getting him nowhere. Tsunade was right to be angry at him and his anger at the situation was not going to help. If he valued his career, then he'd be better off not angering his boss any further.

"I'm sorry," he said after some thought. "I disobeyed an order. Whatever reasons I had for leaving were no excuse for doing it."

Naruto met her eyes and hoped that the Hokage could see the sincerity of the statement in his eyes. He valued her as more than just his boss; she was like the sister he never had, and he didn't want his recklessness and impulsiveness get in the way of that.

Tsunade sighed. "What am I going to do with you, Naruto? You live by your own set of rules, which is sometimes beneficial to you and the village, but you also need to learn to play the system. It won't always work for you, but you'll have a better chance of manipulating it to what you want if you at least understand it."

"I'm a ninja, not a politician," Naruto replied, as he had every other time this particular topic had come up.

"You'll have to be if you want to become Hokage," Tsunade said.

It took a bit for that to sink in. "So you're not firing me?" Naruto asked.

"I should," Tsunade said, "but I can't afford to lose any more ninja right now, and you're a damned good one. I want you to stay in the village and not go after Kabuto. Jiraiya told me of your reluctance to return, but you will leave the traitor to Ibiki and Jiraiya. Understood?"

"Yes," Naruto replied, though he was not entirely happy about the deal. "I won't go after him."

"Good," Tsunade said. "We'll be preparing for an invasion, so as of right now you and Sakura are both back on duty. As soon as she's released from the hospital, come by my office for your orders."

Naruto nodded and stood. "Thank you Hokage-sama," Naruto said as he passed her.

Tsunade cringed. "Somehow, the title sounds horrible coming out of your mouth."

Naruto smiled at her. "You're always complaining that I don't address you properly and when I do, you don't like it?"

Tsunade smiled back. "Hokage's prerogative."

She got up and led him to the door. "Tell Sakura and Sasuke that I'll stop by to check on them in a couple of hours." She closed the door behind him, leaving Naruto alone on the porch.

Tsunade was a decent woman, and a damned good Hokage, even if she did tend to be over protective every once in a while. Still, it was better to have her on his side, Naruto thought as he made his way to the hospital.

Naruto decided to avoid the hassle of dealing with the hospital staff and instead let himself into the building through a second story window that had been left unlocked. He headed for the section of the hospital where he'd recovered after his attack and didn't have to look long before he found the room Sakura and Sasuke were in.

He let himself in without knocking and was surprised to find Inoue-san already there. The older man was in deep conversation with Sakura, who was giggling at whatever the man had said. Sasuke was turned away from them, staring out of the open window. In the minute before he was noticed, Naruto took in his friend's appearance: Sakura was pale and wrapped up in a blanket, but was sitting up in bed and seemed to be enjoying her conversation with Inoue-san. Sasuke looked tense and bruised, but not as guarded as Naruto had last seen him. In other words, Sasuke didn't look like he'd torch anyone who dared approach him. There was an odd calm about the man that made Naruto wonder what had happened to bring about that change in Sasuke.

"Naruto!"

Sakura noticed him first and gave him a big smile. Naruto grinned back and approached her bed first. His grin faded, however, and she punched him in the stomach as soon as he'd gotten close enough.

"You idiot," she yelled. "How dare you leave like that and make us all worry?"

Naruto clutched his now sore stomach and grimaced. "It's good to know you haven't lost your strength, Sakura," he said.

"Don't change the subject," she said. "What you did was idiotic, irresponsible, and selfish. You not only put yourself in danger, but you opened yourself up to another attack. What if Kabuto had found you?"

Naruto looked away from her, knowing that she was right. Up close, Sakura looked tired and he wondered whether he would have been able to do anything for his friends if he'd been around when Kabuto targeted them.

"I'm sorry, Sakura," Naruto said. "I wasn't thinking and I should have been here. If I were, perhaps…"

"I wouldn't say that if I were you," Sasuke interrupted. "She already bit my head off when I wanted to take responsibility for Kabuto."

Naruto turned to Sasuke, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open in surprise. The glint in the Uchiha's dark eyes made Naruto's eyes widen even more. Had Sasuke just teased Sakura? Sasuke looked calmly back, his expression not giving any hints to whatever was going through his head. Naruto then turned back to Sakura, who was blushing slightly. Finally, Naruto looked at Inoue-san, who looked as lost as Naruto felt.

"Inoue-san, these two aren't clones, right?" Naruto asked.

The elder man shook his head. "I don't think so. Sakura-chan and I were having the most interesting conversation about medical herbs before you walked in, while Sasuke-kun over there did his best to ignore us."

Naruto shook his head to clear it of the jumble of thoughts fighting for supremacy. He looked at his two friends one more time and noticed that something was different between them. There was tension, as there always was around Sasuke, but it suddenly wasn't as thick as it had once been.

"Alright," Naruto finally said and glanced at Inoue-san out of the corner of his eye, before meeting both Sakura and Sasuke's eyes. "We will talk about it later, though."

Naruto received two small nods in response.

"I think I'm going to go back to my shop," Inoue-san said. "I'm glad you're all doing well."

With that, the elder man left the room. Naruto stared after him for a while, before turning back to his friends.

"Was it something I said?" he asked.

He took the chair Inoue-san had vacated and filled his former teammates in on what had transpired in Otogakure and what he and Kakashi had found out about the enemy army. Sakura, in turn, told him about her experience with Kabuto. When it came to Sasuke, he gave them a brief account of his encounter with Kabuto, and Naruto knew better than to ask for any details.

"Ibiki, huh?" Naruto said when Sasuke had finished. "He's the last person I would have expected to reach you first."

"I was surprised as well," Sasuke said. "After he accused me of killing the ANBU, I expected him to leave me behind.

Naruto loosened his fists, which had clenched as his friend's tales of their encounters with Kabuto progressed. They clenched once again, however, after Sakura's next question.

"How can Kabuto still be alive?" she asked.

Naruto looked away from her piercing, green stare and focused on the floor instead. It took him a while to control his temper enough so that his voice was calm when he answered.

"I thought I'd killed him," Naruto finally replied. "I clearly remember engaging him first, but then…"

"The fox took over, didn't it?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto looked up at his friend. "How do you know?" he asked.

Sasuke's expression shifted, leaving his face shrouded in darkness for a moment before it passed.

"When I first saw you that day, you weren't yourself," Sasuke said. "You looked the same as you did by the end of the confrontation at the Valley of the End." Sasuke's eyes left him, and Naruto could have sworn that he saw a trace of guilt in the dark eyes before they'd looked away.

The confrontation at the Valley of the End was not something Naruto was willing to get into, so he let it drop.

"I was so angry when I fought Kabuto," Naruto said after some silence, "and it was hard to keep it under control. I wanted him dead, but he has always been just a bit better than me and would dodge everything I threw at him. I finally hit him with a Rasengan and he dropped. I guess I was too concerned with finding Orochimaru that I didn't stop to make sure that he was really dead."

He had been so stupid. What good was he if he couldn't even make sure his enemies were properly dead?

"Kabuto can regenerate his cells Naruto," Sakura said. "That would make killing him very hard. It wasn't your fault."

"I should have made sure," Naruto said, his voice louder than he had intended, which caused Sakura to flinch. "He shouldn't have been able to come back and almost kill you both."

"You had other things on your mind," Sasuke added. "It was understandable. We'll just have to deal with Kabuto now and make sure that he really is dead this time."

Naruto grimaced once again at that. "He'll have to come back to the village in order for me to deal with him," he said. "I've been forbidden from leaving again."

"You're already spoken to Tsunade-sama?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, she made it very clear that I am not to leave the village under any circumstances. This time, I think I'm going to listen."

The tree former teammates lapsed into silence, until Sasuke broke it.

"Kabuto is hell bent on revenge so I'm sure he'll come back to finish the job once he realizes you're back here, and that Sakura and I are still alive, unless someone else kills him first."

"I sure hope not," Naruto said. "I'd love to finish what I started."

* * *

&

"Were you able to find Kabuto?" Tsunade asked, but could tell from Ibiki's tense posture that the answer would be in the negative.

"I searched the area immediately surrounding the village and found no traces of his entry," Ibiki said, "I concentrated in the area around the Uchiha compound, but did not detect chakra residue or any evidence of a breach in the wall. I expanded my search from there, but there wasn't much to go on and the trail grew cold rather quickly."

"It's possible that Kabuto is behind Kirigakure's sudden interest in Konoha," Tsunade said and told Ibiki what she and Jiraiya had speculated, and what Naruto and Kakashi had been able to discover from their mission.

"We'll need to mobilize all of our available units and meet them before they arrive at the village," Ibiki said once she'd finished speaking. "It may be too late to ask for help, but…"

Tsunade's raised hand silenced him. "I've already reached out to Suna and they've sent word that they're dispatching their own troops to provide support."

"Suna is too far away, Hokage," Ibiki pointed out.

"I agree, but our alliances with the closer nations aren't as strong as ours is with Suna, and their armies are not as strong."

"I understand. What would you like my department to do?" Ibiki asked.

Tsunade quickly explained her plan and watched the man leave. She wasn't in need of his services as an interrogator, but she did need his services as a strategist and gatherer of information. She was sure that he would not disappoint her.

* * *

&

By the time he was released, Kakashi was ready to spend more than a few hours awake. The nature of his head injury required that, after the initial period of forced wakefulness that Naruto had so kindly watched over as they rushed back to Konoha, he remain unconscious in order for the healers to repair the skull fracture and resulting brain swelling without interference from him. As a result, he'd been unconscious for the better part of two days, and spent the next day in and out of consciousness. He detested being watched over, especially by nosy and meddling medical ninja and had wasted no time vacating his room as soon as he'd been released. He hadn't yet left the hospital, however. He had something to collect before he headed home.

"Yo!" Kakashi said, smiling as the room's occupant turned away from the window he'd been staring out of to face his visitor. The man's black eyes narrowed, but Kakashi was somewhat relieved to see that Sasuke was still relaxed. Well, as relaxed as Sasuke could get..

"They finally let you out," Sasuke commented as Kakashi took the chair closest to Sasuke's bed. Sasuke was alone in the room now, since Sakura had been released the day before.

"Yes, finally," Kakashi replied. "I don't see why they had to keep me here for as long as they did."

"Perhaps it was due to the hole in your head," Sasuke said. "Naruto told us what happened in Oto," Sasuke added. "He said the injury was pretty severe."

"Naruto has a tendency to exaggerate, we both know that."

They lapsed into silence, which Kakashi wasn't too eager to fill. He already knew that Sasuke wasn't going to like what he'd come to tell him and Kakashi had no desire to jump right into it. Unfortunately, Sasuke had other ideas.

"Why are you here, Kakashi? I would have thought you'd head straight home."

"I can't just come visit my recovering ex-student?"

"That excuse might have worked, if I hadn't already been in the hospital for five days," Sasuke replied. "I should have been released long before you."

"I was injured," Kakashi insisted. "I would have come sooner if I could."

Sasuke's words, however, did tug at Kakashi's guilt. Sasuke had been injured and he hadn't been here to at least make sure the young man was recovering. Sasuke still looked pale and rather tired, and the young man's shrug of dismissal of Kakashi's words intensified the guilt a little bit. The proposal Kakashi came with, however, was his way of attempting to redeem many years of neglect on his part.

"I'm afraid I had a little something to do with why you haven't been released," Kakashi said. "I asked the Hokage to keep you here until I was released."

"Why?" Sasuke asked.

"So you could come home with me."

The statement hung in the air like the blade of a guillotine, until Sasuke laughed. The sound was eerie and devoid of any amusement.

"That's funny," Sasuke finally said. "You have a strange sense of humor."

"I'm not joking, Sasuke," Kakashi said. "Your home is still under investigation, considering what happened there. Until such time that the ANBU deem the investigation finished, you are to stay with me."

Sasuke's jaw clenched. "They could have put me in ANBU controlled housing, since they think I'm such a threat. Why did they stick me with you?"

"I realize that you prefer to be alone and deal with your problems alone," Kakashi said, "and being in ANBU controlled housing would provide the perfect opportunity for you to mull over the events of the past few days and sulk in silence. However, that approach has gone on long enough and is no longer an option."

Anger flashed through Sasuke's eyes for a split second before the young man was able to smother it.

"I'm not a dog you can rescue because you feel sorry for it," Sasuke said, "nor am I a child. I'm an adult, and, as I've told you before, I alone am responsible for my actions. How I choose to deal with the aftermath of those actions is my choice and no one else's."

Kakashi wanted to groan in frustration, but resisted the urge. Sasuke's defenses, once raised, would not be easy to penetrate.

"I know that you're not a child, and I don't want to 'rescue' you, as you put it," Kakashi said. "I have an extra room in my house and you're in need of a place to stay. If that arrangement happens to give you an environment where you don't only have yourself and your ghosts for company, then I find it an amicable arrangement."

Sasuke's eyes bore into Kakashi, and the elder ninja couldn't help but think that, at eighteen, Sasuke already had the life experience of a man three times his age.

"I don't have a choice in this, do I?" Sasuke said, resignation just noticeable in his voice.

"No."

Sasuke's shoulders dropped a little bit. No one else would have noticed, but to Kakashi, it was akin to Sasuke accepting defeat. Kakashi wasn't doing this to make Sasuke's life harder, and he had zero experience dealing with traumatized teenagers. However, he was the best choice for Sasuke, and though the teenager would never understand Kakashi's intentions for forcing this on him, he hoped that some good would come of it.

Either that or they'd end up killing each other.

* * *

&

Reviews are always cherished and appreciated. If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I'll answer them if I can. Until next time.


	14. Desperation

Greetings. I present to you the latest chapter. I noticed as I was reviewing a previous chapter that the notes stated that the story would be over in 3-4 chapters. That is inaccurate at this point, as the story has suddenly taken yet another unexpected turn (I love it when the muse strikes and sends me to strange places). I'm hoping you'll enjoy the direction and the additional chapters.

Reviews are appreciated and treasured, as always, so don't be shy. I especially appreciate suggestions and constructive criticism. I'll never grow as a writer otherwise.

Enjoy!

8/4/08

* * *

**Chapter 14: Desperation**

He had intended to leave as soon as he packed up what little had survived the attack, but once he'd made it out of the building, Naruto found himself looking back and staring at the remains of his apartment. The outside of the building betrayed nothing of the destruction inside, but Naruto had more than enough images of how the apartment had come to be destroyed to haunt his nightmares for a while to come. He wasn't particularly fond of the place, but it had been home for the majority of his life. It had been the only place he'd been allowed to live in, and Naruto wondered how much of a hassle it was going to be to talk someone else into renting to him. After one last look, Naruto picked up the bag that now held all of his remaining possessions and walked away.

When he reached Sakura's house, where he'd be staying until he found another apartment, he thought about how, six years ago, he would have been ecstatic at the opportunity to spend time with her and would have been wasting no time thinking of ways to get her to notice him and fall for him. A grin split his features at the schemes he used to come up with, none of which ever worked. When Sakura finally opened the door, his grin only widened.

"What's so funny?" she asked as she ushered him into her house.

"I'm just remembering my old crush, Sakura-chan," Naruto said. "I would have killed to spend time with you like this back then."

Sakura smiled, but Naruto could see sadness in her eyes. Naruto's grin disappeared as her smile also faltered.

"I'm sorry, Sakura, you know I don't feel like that anymore. It was just a joke."

It was true that he didn't have a crush on Sakura. He loved her, of that he made no secret, but it wasn't that kind of love anymore. She was a dear person to him, and he'd die to protect her if necessary. Their friendship had grown to where they could joke about how stupid they'd been when they were younger, which is why he hadn't hesitated to bring it up.

"It's ok, Naruto," she said and took his bag. "It just sometimes hits me that I was so blind and so selfish, and that I really hurt you."

They'd had this conversation before as well, but Naruto had a feeling that no matter how many times they had it, or how often he told Sakura that he was over it, she'd still carry the guilt.

"You're letting me stay at your place until I can figure out where to go," Naruto said, "I can't think of a better way to show that we're ok as we are now."

Sakura smiled, and then her expression darkened. "I swear, Naruto, if I see you in my bedroom rifling through my underclothes, I will bash your face in."

Naruto shook his head in denial. Sakura didn't have to know that the thought had gone through his head several times already. If he were crafty enough…

"I promise to be good," he said.

"You better," she replied. "You'll be staying in the guest bedroom at the back of the house, and I think that you've been here enough to know where everything is, but I can show you around again if you'd like."

"Nah, I think I'll be fine."

"Is that all that was left?" she asked, looking at the bag.

"Yup," Naruto said. "Most of my clothes were destroyed, as was all of the furniture. My weapons survived, though not too well. I'll need to clean them and reassess how useful they still are. It looks like I'll have to start over."

"What will you do now?" Sakura asked.

Naruto shrugged. "With everything that's going on, I haven't really had time to give it much thought. I'll need to find someone else willing to rent to me and go from there."

"Why don't you buy a house?" Sakura asked. "It doesn't have to be big, and at least you'd own it and wouldn't have to put up with anyone else giving you dirty looks or bad mouthing you every time you left your apartment."

Naruto pondered the suggestion. He'd always thought a house would be too big for him, but perhaps if he could find a small one, he could make it work.

"I'll think about it," he said.

Sakura nodded. "I can help if you want. Now, how about we make some dinner?"

* * *

Sasuke's jaw hurt from where he'd been clenching it ever since he and Kakashi had left the hospital. Sasuke been left at the front door of his house with instructions to pack some clothes for the next couple of weeks while Kakashi went to talk to the ninja still investigating the dojo. What they could still possibly learn after all the time that had already passed was unknown to Sasuke, and it annoyed him that so many people were on the grounds.

Unwilling to make whatever Kakashi had planned easy for the elder ninja, Sasuke went into the kitchen and rummaged inside the refrigerator for the remains of the food Sakura had brought him. He wasn't particularly hungry, but since he didn't have much to pack, this was the only way he had to stall. He smelled the food first to make sure that it was still good before heating it up. Sasuke had just sat down to eat when Kakashi came to get him.

"I thought I told you to pack," Kakashi said.

"I was hungry," Sasuke lied. "Help yourself," Sasuke added, gesturing to the dish in the middle of the table.

Kakashi looked at him as he ate, but didn't join him. Sasuke couldn't tell much from the man's expression, but could sense annoyance in the shifting of his chakra.

"I had dinner planned for when we got to my house," Kakashi said.

Sasuke shrugged. "As I said when we were at the hospital, I can provide for myself."

He surprised himself by eating everything that'd been left. He hadn't had much of an appetite lately, and the unpalatable hospital food hadn't helped.

"I can see why Jiraiya was concerned about this place," Kakashi said, looking around the kitchen and into the living room beyond. "It's about to fall apart."

"You exaggerate, Kakashi," Sasuke replied as he cleaned up. "This place has stood for generations. A little abandonment isn't going to destroy it. Besides, what does Jiraiya know? He's too busy chasing…" Sasuke cut the cutting comment off before it could be voiced. He was glad that his back was to Kakashi, because Sasuke couldn't help the wince at yet another unexpected comment that had popped into his head. Orochimaru's hatred for Jiraiya had been great, and Sasuke wondered just how much of that he was channeling, and how long it would last. "I thought Jiraiya was supposed to be in charge of me instead of you," Sasuke said, hoping to deflect the conversation away from what he'd almost said.

"He's been sent out of the village on a reconnaissance mission," Kakashi replied, but the tone of voice clearly stated that, while he was going along with Sasuke for the moment, the other matter was not dropped, simply delayed.

"Pity," Sasuke replied. "He was a much better conversationalist."

"You probably know more about him, don't you?"

Sasuke recognized the remark for what it was and let it go. He would not let Kakashi bait him. The man could speculate all he wanted, but the only way to get proof was for Sasuke to admit to the knowledge he had, which he wouldn't do. Not even Ibiki had been able to get that information out of him, so an amateur like Kakashi didn't stand a chance.

Kakashi followed him up to his room and wasted no time looking around while Sasuke pulled clothes out of the box of his father's clothing that he'd carried up from storage and shoved them into a small bag. He took some toiletries out of the bathroom and added them to the bag. When he was done, he found Kakashi dusting off a picture that had been left face down on his desk long ago.

"Do you want to take this?" Kakashi asked, holding out the dusty photo of Team 7 to him.

"Why bother carrying reminders of things that are long dead?" Sasuke asked. "They'll only tie you to the past."

They left the house in silence, and Sasuke resisted glancing back at the house as they made their way out of the Uchiha neighborhood. Instead of heading to where Sasuke thought Kakashi's house was, they headed into the shopping district.

"Where are we going?" Sasuke asked. He shifted the bag on his shoulder as the weight of it began to irritate his injury.

"Unlike you, I haven't had dinner yet and I need to pick up a few things," Kakashi said.

"If you tell me where your house is, I can meet you there."

"And miss this opportunity to spend quality time with you? I don't think so," Kakashi said. "Besides, I don't know what you like to eat, and I can't ask you if you're not around."

As they headed deeper into town, Sasuke concentrated and cast out his senses for any potential threat. The looks and whispers of the civilians he ignored, instead focusing on the ninja they passed along the way, whose chakra spiked as soon as they saw him. Sasuke noticed that some reached for their weapons while others simply gave him and Kakashi a wide berth. One came as close as bumping Sasuke as he passed, to which even Kakashi reacted.

"Watch it," Kakashi called out to the man, but the ninja continued as if he hadn't heard.

"I think he has a right to his anger," Sasuke replied, not bothering to lower his voice. "They all do."

When they reached the store Kakashi wanted, Sasuke hung back. "I'm going to Inoue-san's shop, Kakashi," Sasuke said. "I'll wait for you there, since it's on the way back out of the market place."

"What part of you being here for me to ask you what you want to eat didn't you understand?" Kakashi asked, his eyebrows rising in an expression that clearly questioned whether Sasuke had any intelligence.

"I don't really care about food," Sasuke said, "but I would like to go and make sure that I still have a job tomorrow."

"Fine," Kakashi replied, "but don't complain when all I buy to feed you is the nastiest vegetables."

Sasuke suddenly flashed back to a similar scene more than a decade past.

"_But I don't like the Daikon radish," four-year-old Sasuke said to his older brother as they stood in front of their aunt's shop. "Mom didn't tell you to buy that."_

_Itachi turned to Sasuke and smirked. "Mom told me to buy vegetables for dinner. She didn't say that I had to get the ones you liked," he teased. _

"Okay then, no Daikon radish," Kakashi said.

"What?" Sasuke said, brought back to the present by Kakashi's words.

"You said you didn't like Daikon radish," Kakashi replied, studying him. "I don't like it either, so you'll get no argument from me."

Sasuke looked away. "I'll meet you by Inoue's shop," he said and left Kakashi at the entrance to the store.

He was halfway to the shop when he picked up the men that were following him. Because he was being watched by Kakashi, and because the Hokage needed every available ANBU helping in preparations for the incoming invasion, Sasuke no longer had ANBU trailing him. As the men got closer, Sasuke recognized them as the group that had attacked him on his first day around the village. He wasn't 100 percent sure that they were heading for him, so Sasuke kept walking towards his destination. When there was no doubt that the men were heading for him, he bypassed Inoue-san's shop and headed out of the shopping district. If there was going to be a confrontation, he didn't want it to be around civilians.

"_What's the matter, Sasuke, getting soft already? What's a couple of puny civilians? It'll be fun to see them get slaughtered."_

Sasuke's head whipped around so fast that his back screamed in agony at the sudden movement.

"Who is there?" he asked.

"_I'm inside your mind where you'll never be able to get rid of me."_

Sasuke's breath caught in his throat as the all too familiar voice reverberated inside his head. He closed his eyes and concentrated, drawing himself into that place deep inside his mind where he'd resided for the years he'd been Orochimaru's host. The safe haven in his mind had been empty ever since he had left it when Naruto destroyed Orochimaru, but it now had a new inhabitant.

"_Nice little place you have here, Sasuke," Orochimaru said, gesturing at the training area that surrounded them. "No wonder I was unable to completely break you during all those years."_

"_You're dead," Sasuke said, "this isn't real."_

"_You should know by now that I'm very hard to kill," Orochimaru said as he advanced on Sasuke, who was frozen where he stood. "I should thank you for this place. When that blonde brat decided to get rid of me, I was able to store a piece of myself here."_

"_This is my mind, my body," Sasuke said with bravado he barely felt. He was shaking; the nightmare he thought had finally been over was suddenly standing before him once again. Not only that, but Orochimaru had managed to inhabit the one place in his mind that had been out of reach to him before. "You're not getting control again."_

_Orochimaru laughed, and the sound sent chills down Sasuke's spine. _

"_You amuse me, child," the snake said. "You have my memories and my skills. It's only a matter of time before I regain the body to put them to good use."_

_Orochimaru's hands were suddenly around Sasuke's neck. Sasuke's hands wrapped around the elder ninja's arms, but he couldn't break the hold. _

"_Stupid child, you don't stand a chance against me."_

* * *

Kakashi left the store intent on putting some decent food into the wayward teenager he was now in charge of. He wasn't the best cook, but he knew his way around the kitchen. Besides, if he could get Sasuke to eat three decent meals a day, maybe he could put some weight back on that lanky body. Sasuke had lost some weight since the time Naruto had brought him back from Oto, and Kakashi wasn't sure if it was because of the trauma of the return, the stress of what had happened since, or if the young man simply hadn't had enough money to buy food. Either way, now that Kakashi was responsible for him, he hoped that was one less thing the young man had to worry about.

When Kakashi got to Inoue's shop, he found that it was closed. Frowning, he looked around hoping to see Sasuke waiting for him outside one of the other shops. When he didn't see Sasuke, Kakashi made his way out of the shopping district, figuring that if Sasuke was going to wait for him, it'd be in a less crowed area. He'd walked ten feet when he saw someone lying face down on the ground. The long, loose hair immediately tipped him off to who it was. Kakashi set the bag he'd been carrying on the ground beside Sasuke and turned the young man around. He tried to, at least, but wasn't able to get the body to move. As he felt around, Kakashi realized that Sasuke's hair had been unbound to hide the two kunai that had been imbedded at Sasuke's shoulders. They hadn't pierced the skin, but they were pinning Sasuke's shirt to the ground. When he'd gotten the kunai out, Kakashi pulled the paper that had been wrapped to the handle of one of them and read the note made up of torn pieces of newspaper.

"Murdering Snake," Kakashi read out loud.

Kakashi crumpled the paper and shoved it, and the two kunai, into the pocket of his vest. He'd have someone in investigations examine the pieces for evidence once he'd gotten Sasuke home. 

As he was turning Sasuke over, he felt dampness on his hands and cursed. The wound on Sasuke's back must have re-opened.

Kakashi propped Sasuke against his legs so that the wound wouldn't be aggravated further. Sasuke's eyes were open, but staring at something only he could see. Kakashi tapped Sasuke's cheek, hoping for a reaction, but there was none. His hand went to Sasuke's neck to feel for a pulse, and that did garner a reaction.

"NO!" Sasuke screamed, and wrapped both of his hands around Kakashi's arm.

"Sasuke, calm down, it's me," Kakashi said.

"Let go of me," Sasuke said, his voice betraying fear. His eyes were still not focused on Kakashi, and Kakashi couldn't remember a time where he'd seen Sasuke look as scared and as vulnerable as he did now.

"Sasuke, snap out of it!" Kakashi said and shook Sasuke's shoulders. When that didn't work, Kakashi focused just enough chakra into his hands for a mild electric shock. Sasuke's body jerked, and his eyes closed momentarily. When they opened again, Sasuke was finally focused on Kakashi.

Sasuke pushed Kakashi away and got to his feet, but wouldn't meet Kakashi's eyes.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke's chakra was fluctuating wildly, and Kakashi hoped that no one else happened to come by, especially no one that reported directly to the Hokage. After a few moments, however, Sasuke's chakra all but disappeared, and his body relaxed. He brushed his hair out of his face and looked around as if nothing had happened.

"What are you looking for?" Kakashi asked.

"My hair tie and my bag," Sasuke said, finding neither. "Those bastards," he muttered.

"What bastards?" Kakashi asked.

"There were four or five of them," Sasuke said, still not looking directly at Kakashi. "They were following me. They must have taken my bag."

"If you knew they were there, how did they manage to knock you out?"

"They must have gotten to me when…" Sasuke trailed off. "Ask Jiraiya, he knows who they are."

Sasuke finally met Kakashi's eyes, and there was something there that hadn't been there before. Kakashi couldn't quite pinpoint it, but he knew for certain that Sasuke was lying about at least part of what had happened.

"This happened before?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah, on the first night I was allowed out," Sasuke replied. "Jiraiya scared them off."

Sasuke turned around and started walking back towards the Uchiha neighborhood.

"Where are you going?" Kakashi asked.

"They took my clothes," Sasuke said. "I need to rummage around my house for more."

"Leave it until tomorrow," Kakashi said, "you can borrow some of mine for tonight."

"We're halfway there now, Kakashi."

"I need to get you home," Kakashi said.

"Why?" Sasuke asked. "Can't it wait an hour?"

"You can't feel it?" Kakashi asked, taking a closer look at Sasuke, who seemed genuinely puzzled at Kakashi's insistence that they go to his house immediately.

"Feel what? The ninja didn't injure me."

"They didn't have to, Sasuke. You were already injured. Whatever they did re-opened the wound on your back."

Frowning, Sasuke reached behind him to feel at the wet cloth. He seemed surprised when his fingers came away bloody.

"That's why I can't wait an hour. I need to re-bandage that before it gets worse."

Sasuke looked at him, and for a moment Kakashi thought he saw indecision on Sasuke's face. The indecision lasted only a moment, however, because it was soon replaced by indifference.

"A little blood isn't going to kill me, but if you insist, then lead the way," Sasuke said.

Kakashi picked up the bag of groceries and led the way to his house. Sasuke had been a little less defensive, a little more open, when they'd left the hospital. Now, however, Sasuke was as closed off and defensive as he'd been the first night Kakashi had seen him after his return. Something had caused the relapse, and Kakashi vowed to find out what it was.

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Sakura?" Naruto asked.

"Of course it's a good idea to stop by with dinner. What do two bachelors know about cooking decent meals?" she said by way of explanation.

"Kakashi has been a bachelor for a long time, I'm sure he's learned to cook by now," Naruto insisted.

"Naruto, don't tell me that you don't want to stop by Kakashi's house and see how much trouble those two have gotten into?" Sakura asked, a gleam in her eye that reminded him of those times when he'd said or done something stupid and she'd hit him.

Naruto chuckled. "Sakura, your evil streak scares me," he said. "It's only been a half day since they were discharged from the hospital, so I doubt they could have gotten into much trouble during that time."

Sakura grinned and quickened her pace. Once they'd reached the modest house, she motioned for Naruto to knock but the door hadn't been properly closed and swung open as soon as he put his hand on the worn wood. They let themselves in, and the scene they walked in on certainly wasn't what they'd been expecting

"What happened?" Sakura asked. She shoved the food she'd been carrying at Naruto and rushed to the couch, where Kakashi was re-bandaging the wound on Sasuke's back. Naruto couldn't help a grimace when he caught a glimpse of it.

"A group of ninja jumped him," Kakashi said as he moved aside to let Sakura take a look.

"They won?" Naruto asked. "Sasuke, you're losing your touch, man."

"This is the wound from Kabuto, right?" Sakura asked. Her earlier humor had all but disappeared.

"Yes," Sasuke replied.

"Kabuto damaged the cells, which is why the wound isn't healing as it should," Sakura said. "I can close it again, but you'll have to be careful not to reopen it. Do that too many times and it'll be harder to heal."

Sakura went to work and had the wound closed as much as she could in a few minutes. She re-bandaged it and helped Sasuke sit up. Kakashi threw him a shirt and Sasuke quickly put it on.

"Who attacked you, Sasuke?" Naruto asked.

"What difference does it make?" Sasuke replied.

"It makes a lot of difference," Naruto insisted, "those men need to be punished."

Sasuke managed a bitter bark of laughter. "Keep dreaming," he said. "It's not like the Hokage can do anything about it."

Naruto opened his mouth to argue some more, but an icy glare from Sasuke stopped him. "Drop it, Naruto."

Naruto clenched his jaw in frustration. 'Stubborn bastard,' he thought.

Kakashi rummaged inside his vest and pulled out two kunai and a note. "They left evidence this time, so I'm not going to drop it," he said. "I will find who owned these kunai and make sure word gets to the Hokage."

"What does the note say?" Sakura asked.

"Murdering Snake" Kakashi read. "It's not very original if you ask me."

Sasuke didn't react to the note's content, which made Naruto wonder if this sort of thing had happened before. He was about to ask when Sakura interrupted.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" she asked Sasuke.

"No," Sasuke replied.

Kakashi turned to Naruto and, noticing the food he was still holding, beamed. "You brought us food," he said. Kakashi's forced cheerfulness sounded hollow and fake, but Naruto decided that it was probably best to let the matter go for the moment.

"Sakura's cooking," Naruto said.

"That saves me from actually having to cook."

Kakashi took the food from Naruto and headed into the kitchen to heat and serve it. Naruto turned back to the living room where Sakura was examining Sasuke's other wound. Sasuke was wound tighter than a clock and looked like it was taking all of his willpower not to shove Sakura away. The wall that Naruto had felt had come down a little after his conversation with Sakura and Sasuke at the hospital was back up and stronger than ever. Sasuke felt as unreachable as if he was still in another village, and Naruto wondered again if they'd done the right thing by bringing Sasuke back.

"The other wound is healing better," Sakura said. "If you have any problems, let me know."

They sat in uncomfortable silence for a while, and Naruto hated feeling like he couldn't say or ask what he wanted for fear of crossing a line he was unaware of and pushing Sasuke even further away. He clenched his fists and turned away from his former teammates, choosing 

instead to look out of the window. Did Sasuke even want to be back? Had he been happier with Orochimaru? Naruto shuddered at the thought, but realized that he'd never asked Sasuke. Not that Sasuke would have given him an honest answer even if he'd asked.

Naruto sighed and leaned his forehead against the cool glass. It would be very easy to walk out of the house and never look back, leaving Kakashi and Sakura to deal with Sasuke. It was tempting, and Naruto felt guilty for even acknowledging the option. What kind of friend was he if he was thinking of running away? He wasn't a quitter, and he was half responsible for the situation, so he couldn't run away. Sasuke was his friend, even if the friendship seemed mostly one-sided.

He was saved from further musings by Kakashi's announcement that dinner was ready. Sakura met his eyes as she passed him, and Naruto could see similar doubts in her eyes. Perhaps they'd made a mistake in bringing Sasuke back to Konoha after all.

* * *

Once dinner was over, Sasuke used his injury as an excuse to get away from the tense atmosphere of the kitchen. They'd eaten mostly in silence, and Sasuke was glad that he'd eaten at his house earlier because he'd not had much of an appetite while sharing the dinner table with his former teammates. Sakura's worried looks and Kakashi's appraising stares were one thing, but Sasuke had found Naruto's anger the hardest to deal with. Sasuke couldn't tell if Naruto was angry at him or at something else, and it bothered Sasuke that he might have been the cause.

After Kakashi had shown Sasuke where he'd be sleeping, the elder ninja had gone back to the others. Sasuke heard them talking and, since he was sure they were talking about him, had done his best to tune them out. Once Sakura and Naruto left, Kakashi had retired to his own room, leaving the house in complete silence.

The room was a good-sized room with a bed, a dresser, and a small window. Sasuke hadn't bothered to try the window, since Kakashi had probably set up some kind of system of seals to keep Sasuke from leaving the house. Right now, however, keeping Sasuke locked inside might be to Kakashi's disadvantage if Sasuke lost the tenuous control he currently had over Orochimaru. While he'd been with the others, Sasuke had pushed the fact that he still carried a little piece of the snake out of his mind. Now that he was alone and surrounded by silence, however, ignoring it was no longer an option.

The fear that he'd shoved to the back of his mind resurfaced, leaving Sasuke cold and shaky. He'd blocked the part of his mind that had become a refuge to Orochimaru and surrounded it with barriers, but Sasuke could feel the barriers being prodded and tested and knew that they wouldn't hold Orochimaru for very long. If Orochimaru regained control of Sasuke's body now, while he was in Konoha, many people that Sasuke still cared for would die. The easiest solution would be to leave the village, but Sasuke wasn't sure if he could break Kakashi's seals, at least not without alerting Kakashi to what he was doing. The elder ninja would try to stop him, and Sasuke didn't want the man involved any more than he had to be. Orochimaru had tried to kill 

Kakashi once before and Sasuke didn't want to give the snake the opportunity to try one more time.

There was another option, one he could exercise without anyone ever having to know that Orochimaru was still alive. Sasuke walked to the door and paused, wondering if this door had been sealed as well. After a few moments of indecision, Sasuke decided to take the chance and opened the door. He paused on the threshold, but nothing happened. Sighing in relief, Sasuke left the room and made his way to the kitchen. As silently as he could and using the moonlight coming in through the high window for illumination, he opened drawers and cabinets until he found what he was looking for: a kitchen knife. It probably wasn't as sharp as a kunai, but it was all he could get his hands on. If he died, then Orochimaru would die with him. Sasuke didn't see much of a problem with that.

"Looking for something?"

Sheer willpower kept Sasuke from reacting to the unexpected voice, and years of training himself not to show weakness to Kabuto or Orochimaru kept the surprise from showing in his voice.

"I wanted water," Sasuke said.

"The cups are in the cupboard to your right, not in that drawer," Kakashi said.

Sasuke shut the drawer and opened the indicated cupboard to pull out a glass. He filled it with water from the tap and was halfway to his room when Kakashi's voice stopped him.

"We want to help you, Sasuke. If there's something wrong, I hope you know that you can tell us."

Sasuke continued on into the room and shut the door on Kakashi's offer. He could tell them what was going on, but what good would that do? He'd only be putting them in more danger than he already had. No, Orochimaru was his problem, and Sasuke would deal with it one way or another, hopefully before anyone got hurt.

* * *

As I said earlier, it's the muse's fault. However, now that the damage has been done, I plan on taking full advantage of it. Naruto and Sasuke might not like me too much for it, though. Until next time.


	15. Masks

Greetings! Two chapters in two months, I think that's a record for me. I finally have direction, which helps in figuring out what comes next.

Thank you to all who reviewed! It's nice to know that the story is being read and enjoyed. Stats, while nice to have, are just numbers on a graph. They are no substitute for the communication that comes from a review. oturan2008, you left a lovely review, but since I'm unable to reply to it, I'll mention a few things here, since I think they'll be of interest to everyone else as well.

I don't enjoy conflict for the sake of conflict or angst for the sake of angst. I'm a strong believer that the bumps on the road we all call life will make us stronger, so I like to portray that in what I write. While I don't ever guarantee happy endings, I do guarantee that there will be resolution in some form or fashion.

I have a tendency to focus on a handful of characters, because I like to write them well and it's easier to do when you have a smaller cast, but I have been neglecting everyone else. They'll have their turn eventually.

**Warnings**: language and mild violence. I try not to use too many objectionable words, but this chapter merited a few.

Enjoy!

Posted 8/27/08

* * *

**Chapter 15: Masks**

Kakashi decided shortly after six in the morning that he'd had enough of tossing and turning and got up to begin his day. His sleep, when he'd managed to doze off, had been plagued by nightmares of giant snakes, and of his dead father. The snakes were disturbing enough, but Kakashi hadn't thought of his father's suicide in a long time, and the nightmares left him feeling as if he were a child all over again. The helplessness he'd felt in his dreams had carried over into the waking hours as Kakashi thought of what Sasuke could have done the night before if Kakashi hadn't interfered. Not that his mind hadn't happily substituted Sasuke for his father in some of the nightmares, giving Kakashi a very vivid image of a blood soaked Uchiha lying on his living room floor.

Kakashi forced the image out of his mind and left his bedroom. He'd told Sasuke that he'd let him down once and wouldn't do it again, and he'd meant it. Sasuke was not going to end up dead by his own hand on Kakashi's watch. He knocked on the door of the guest bedroom softly enough to be heard if the occupant was awake, but hopefully not loud enough to wake him if Sasuke were asleep. When there was no response, Kakashi decided to check on Sasuke anyway and made his way inside. Instead of finding Sasuke still asleep on the bed, however, Kakashi found the young man sitting on the floor with his knees to his chest and his back to the corner opposite the door.

Sasuke looked up when Kakashi entered, blinking blood-shot eyes and looking at Kakashi as if he thought Kakashi was an apparition. When Sasuke finally decided that Kakashi was real, he got to his feet. The wrinkled clothing looked ridiculously big on him, but Kakashi decided that commenting on that was not a good idea.

"Was there something wrong with the bed?" Kakashi asked, motioning to the untouched bed in front of Sasuke.

"No," Sasuke replied, "just unnecessary."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the comment. "Well, there's a couch in the living room. You could have slept there if you didn't want the bed."

"The floor was fine," Sasuke replied. His jaw was set in a grim line, and Kakashi could almost hear Sasuke's teeth grinding together.

"I guess it's easier to stay awake when you're on the floor," Kakashi ventured, and was rewarded with a glare that Kakashi was sure had reduced many Oto ninja to a trembling mess.

"Where is the bathroom?"Sasuke asked once he realized that the glare was having no effect on Kakashi.

"Down the hall to the left," Kakashi answered and watched as Sasuke left the room, shoulders tight and hands clenched at his side.

The helplessness that had plagued Kakashi's dreams resurfaced. How was he supposed to reach Sasuke when so many walls separated him from the young man he had once known? He'd tied the boy to a tree with wire once and forced him to listen to Kakashi's version of reason, but that hadn't worked. Kakashi had a feeling that he'd lose a limb or two if he tried that again, not that it'd work any better now. You couldn't force Sasuke to do anything, because he had to be the one to decide he wanted to do whatever you were asking of him. Getting him to want to talk was going to be damn near impossible.

Kakashi turned his inner turmoil into something useful by rummaging through the dresser until he found some clothes that would fit Sasuke. Sasuke was shorter and thinner than Kakashi, so the clothes would still be a bit big, but not as big as the ones he was wearing now.

"Some of these clothes should fit you," Kakashi said as Sasuke came back into the room. "I'm going to make breakfast while you change."

He closed the door behind him and headed to the kitchen, where the first thing he did was take the knives out of the drawer and put them under lock and key with his weapons. He returned to the kitchen and rinsed some fruit, made toast, and brewed coffee. By the time Sasuke left his room, Kakashi was reading the morning paper and halfway through his first cup of coffee.

Sasuke poured himself a cup of coffee and then joined him at the table.

"What was last night all about?" Kakashi asked when Sasuke was seated opposite him.

"You put a seal on the door to alert you when I left the room?" Sasuke countered.

"No. I'm a light sleeper and you woke me up when you started rummaging around my kitchen. Now answer the question."

"It was nothing," Sasuke said after a pause, his voice soft, but no less chilling.

"Really, so you weren't looking for my kitchen knives then?" Kakashi didn't bother hiding his disbelief.

"No."

"You're lying, Sasuke, and this is one thing I'm not going to let go," Kakashi said, his voice rising in volume despite his desire to stay as calm as possible. "I can't even begin to comprehend what you've been through, because you've not been very forthcoming on the details, but taking your own life to escape isn't the answer. It's the coward's way out."

If Kakashi thought that Sasuke's earlier glare could have reduced a man to a trembling mess, the one he gave Kakashi now could have killed someone. Sasuke's hands clenched around the cup he was holding and he seemed to be at a loss for words.

"You think I was trying to kill myself because I'm a coward? You have no idea, Kakashi," Sasuke said when he'd finally found his voice.

"Why don't you enlighten me, then?" Kakashi's anger stemmed from a place deep inside him that, if asked, he'd not been able to identify. It was raw and all-consuming, as if it had been lying dormant for most of his life waiting for release. "Why were you going to kill yourself?"

There, it was in the open. Sasuke could either deny it or not, and Kakashi wasn't sure which one he preferred.

"I wanted to…" Sasuke started to say but cut himself off. A brief flash of panic flitted through his eyes and he looked away.

"You were what?" Kakashi prodded.

When Sasuke didn't raise his head, Kakashi left his chair and took a hold of Sasuke's chin, forcing his head up. Angry, black eyes tinged with something lighter glared at Kakashi from the pale face.

"Damn it, Sasuke. What's wrong? Something happened yesterday before I found you and it has nothing to do with the ninja that left the note. Is it Kabuto, did you see him again? Is it…" 

Kakashi trailed off, the thought that has just crossed his mind leaving him cold. As much as he didn't want to voice the thought, he had to.

"Is it Orochimaru?"

Sasuke reacted by grabbing onto the front of Kakashi's vest and shoving him against the wall. Electricity coursed through Kakashi as Sasuke held him, making his limbs shake. After the initial surprise of the attack wore off, Kakashi gritted his teeth and fought the shaking enough to maneuver his arms in front of him and push Sasuke away. Sasuke slammed into the table, but managed to stay upright. He started making hand seals, but Kakashi managed to separate Sasuke's hands before he could complete the technique he'd wanted. Sasuke responded by kicking Kakashi's legs out from under him, and Kakashi slammed onto the floor. He'd still had a hold of Sasuke's hands, so the teenager fell on top of him.

They fought, each trying to pin the other down, and the glimpses of Sasuke's cold, emotionless face sent shivers down Kakashi's spine. This was a boy trained to kill; a boy trained to cut off all feeling for the sake of his goals. Sasuke's black eyes didn't turn red with the Sharingan, but there was a touch of gold in them that reminded Kakashi of someone he'd thought dead for good. In the end, it was that glimpse of gold that scared the hell out of Kakashi, giving him the slight edge over Sasuke. Kakashi wasn't afraid of Sasuke; Kakashi was afraid for him.

Kakashi got them both to a sitting position and wrapped his arms around Sasuke from behind, pinning the younger ninja's arms to his side.

"Let me go," Sasuke commanded, struggling to get out of Kakashi's grip. The voice was slightly higher pitched and carried the air of authority and superiority that comes with the knowledge that everyone else is beneath you.

"Not until you calm down," Kakashi replied and held on tighter when the struggles increased.

After a few more minutes of struggling, Sasuke finally went limp in Kakashi's arms. He dropped his head, so that Kakashi couldn't see his face through the curtain of hair. They were both breathing hard and Kakashi ached in quite a few places.

"You can let go of me now," Sasuke said, his voice back to the monotone he'd adopted when he was brought back to the village.

"How do I know you're not going to attack me again?" Kakashi replied.

"You don't, but you can't sit here and hold on to me for the rest of the day," Sasuke replied.

Kakashi had to agree that Sasuke did have a point, even though he wasn't entirely happy about it. He was shaken at what he now suspected, but he wasn't going to let Sasuke know that he suspected Orochimaru might still be around.

He let go of Sasuke, who got to his feet first and then held out a hand to help Kakashi up. The older ninja peered into Sasuke's eyes before taking the hand, and was relieved to see that they were entirely black. They looked at each other awkwardly for a moment, before Sasuke turned away and headed for the front door.

"Where are you going?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm late for work," Sasuke replied.

He'd rather not have Sasuke out of his sight, and leaving him with a civilian might not be the best of ideas, but he had to speak to Sakura. He could take Sasuke by Inoue's shop, get an ANBU to stay around the shop and make sure Sasuke didn't leave, and then pick him up at the end of the day. If it all went to plan, it could work.

"OK," Kakashi told Sasuke. "I'll walk with you then."

* * *

Sakura's office in the administrative wing of the hospital was small, cramped, and so full of medical texts and scrolls that every piece of furniture served as a makeshift bookcase. She usually didn't mind, since she spent the majority of her time not on the field or out on missions in her lab. When she had to spend time in her office, she was content for there to be just enough space clear on her desk so she could work in peace.

When Kakashi showed up, however, she found herself struggling to keep mounds of paper and books from falling over as she moved stuff off the chair in front of her desk.

"Nice juggling," Kakashi said as he took the cleared chair. "For a moment I thought you'd cause an avalanche of scrolls."

"One day, I'm sure I will," she replied, noting that the nonchalance with which Kakashi normally carried himself was gone, replaced by a sense of heightened awareness.

She studied her former teacher for a minute, trying to figure out what had him on edge. He was outwardly calm, except for the small twitch of his uncovered eye. The twitch usually preceded his activating the Sharingan eye, and it worried Sakura that something had happened to make him feel like he had to use the eye while still in the village. She opened her mouth to inquire about Sasuke, as he was probably one of the only people around that could make Kakashi feel threatened enough to use the Sharingan, but he beat her to it.

"How sure are you that the seals you and Naruto used to remove Orochimaru from Sasuke's body worked?"

Sakura stared at Kakashi, for a moment unsure if she'd heard correctly. When the words registered, she felt lightheaded, as if the oxygen had been sucked out of the room all at once.

"Why do you ask?"

"Sasuke attacked me this morning," Kakashi replied, his voice still calm.

"What?" Sakura burst out before she could stop herself.

Her incredulousness turned to gut-churning fear as Kakashi told her what he'd woken up to the night before and what he'd seen during his altercation with Sasuke.

"Sasuke seemed to regain control towards the end, when he finally went limp," Kakashi finished. "His eyes were back to normal by then."

"Kakashi, if it were really Orochimaru in control of Sasuke's body while you were fighting, he would have killed you," Sakura pointed out.

"Not if Sasuke still had some measure of control and kept him from doing so," Kakashi countered.

"So you think that Sasuke is aware of Orochimaru's presence still in his mind?"

"He has to be. Sasuke and suicide don't usually make sense together, but they do if Sasuke was aware that Orochimaru was still in his mind somewhere. You know how Sasuke likes to deal with things on his own. What better way to deal with Orochimaru than to kill the body so there'd be nothing for the snake to take over?"

Kakashi's blunt words cut through her like highly sharpened shiruken, but she knew them to be true. Sakura inwardly cursed Sasuke's stubbornness, while at the same tine fearing for his well being. She pulled herself from those dark thoughts and got back to Kakashi's original question.

"I suppose it's possible that Orochimaru hid a piece of his consciousness in Sasuke's mind as a failsafe, in case he was ever driven out of the body," Sakura explained, her voice calmer than she would have thought possible with the churning thoughts in her head. "If that's the case, then we have a bigger problem at hand. In addition to removing Orochimaru's soul, we placed a seal on Sasuke so that it would never be possible for Orochimaru, or anyone else, to be able to take over his body."

Kakashi thought about what she'd said for a moment, until his eye widened.

"The seal keeps things out, but also keeps whatever is inside in, right?" Kakashi asked.

Instead of answering, Sakura removed a key from the necklace around her neck and opened a small trunk behind her desk. She removed two scrolls and set them on the desk in front of Kakashi.

"These scrolls contain the two seals that we used on Sasuke," Sakura said and gave Kakashi some time to glance at what she and Naruto had spent years perfecting. "As you can see on that 

second one," she continued after she had Kakashi's attention again, "if there is a piece of Orochimaru still alive in Sasuke's mind, then that second seal is going to keep it inside."

"The seal can't be removed?" Kakashi asked.

"It can, but not without some risk to Sasuke," Sakura said. "That seal is probably what's keeping Orochimaru from taking over entirely, so I wouldn't recommend removing it. It also gives Sasuke majority share in his mind, to put it simply. As long as Sasuke is strong enough to fight, he should regain control when Orochimaru tries to take over."

Sakura saw Kakashi's eye lose focus for a moment and could imagine a similar train of thought going through the silver-haired jounin's head: Sasuke had survived three years as Orochimaru's host by subjugating his existence in his own mind. That kind of survival instinct was hard to fight in the face of similar circumstances.

"What do you recommend we do?" Kakashi asked.

"Naruto performed the actual seals, so it's a good idea to keep those two as close as possible," Sakura said. "Naruto's chakra can still feed the seal, so it might keep Orochimaru restrained until we figure out what to do. Does Sasuke know that you suspect anything?"

Kakashi shook his head. "I didn't want to risk Orochimaru, if he's that close to the surface, forcing Sasuke into doing something stupid, like leaving, if he thought I suspected something.

"That's probably for the best," Sakura said. "We need to keep Sasuke contained," Sakura answered. "Once we know he can't leave the village, we've got to get him to tell us what's going on in his head, how much control Orochimaru still has, so we can help him. As long as that seal is still on Sasuke, he is the only one that can fight Orochimaru." She paused for a moment. "Where is Sasuke now?"

"I left him at Inoue's shop, with an ANBU outside to make sure he didn't leave," Kakashi replied.

Sakura got to her feet and started for the door. "We need to get him, and we need to find Naruto and tell him what's going on."

She was almost to the door when Kakashi, who'd gotten up after her, stopped her with a hand to her shoulder.

"Are you going to tell Tsunade-sama?" he asked.

She was sorely tempted, because Tsunade-sama knew so much more than she did, but, childish or not, Sasuke was still her responsibility first. Sakura looked at Kakashi to see if he would force the issue. When he inclined his head slightly to indicate that he'd let her make the decision, she expelled the breath she'd been holding.

"No, not until I have to."

Sakura walked out of her office with Kakashi hot on her heels. She didn't have time to worry or fear for her friend right now. She also didn't have time for self-recriminations and for wondering where she and Naruto's research had been incomplete or incorrect, and whether they had put their friend in even greater danger. Right now, she had to get to Sasuke, before Orochimaru completely took over and did something that Sasuke couldn't forgive himself for.

* * *

When Naruto left Sakura's house that morning, he'd intended to work at Inoue-san's shop, since Tsunade had yet to give him a mission. Halfway there, however, he'd changed his mind. Sasuke would probably be there, and Naruto didn't feel like smiling and pretending that everything was good with the world when he really felt like screaming at the top of his lungs at the unfairness of it all. Instead, he'd purchased two bottles of _sake_ and had settled himself on his favorite tree in the forest surrounding the training grounds. Here, he knew that he would be alone and would have no need to fake the smile everyone had become so accustomed to.

It had taken the first bottle, and four hours, for Naruto to finally admit to himself why he was so angry. At first, Naruto had thought that the anger was directed at Sasuke, because the bastard was being his usual aloof and uncaring self, but that wasn't entirely the case. Sasuke hadn't asked Naruto or Sakura to come after him. He hadn't asked them to risk their careers to bring him back. Yes, Sasuke had defected and abandoned them, and for that Naruto did harbor quite a lot of anger, but that should have been the end of it. Naruto should have let go and let Sasuke do whatever the hell he'd wanted. It had been Naruto's own choice to make Sakura a promise he wasn't sure he could keep. It had been Naruto's choice to leave Konoha armed with two new techniques and then slaughter the villagers in Oto just to get to Sasuke. It had been his haste to get to Sasuke that had left Kabuto alive and had almost gotten Sakura killed. If Sasuke never adapted to being in Konoha again, and ended up miserable because of it, it would be Naruto's fault as well.

Naruto picked up the bottle he'd recently emptied and hurled it at the nearest tree with a wordless roar of rage that sent birds scattering from their perch. The bottle shattered, and Naruto's hand itched to throw something else. His second bottle was still half full, however, and he wasn't about to waste good _sake_.

He knew that Sasuke would be different if they managed to get Orochimaru out of his body and bring him home. Sakura had never let him forget that, but seeing it in person was an entirely different thing. Sasuke had always been aloof and defensive, even as a child, but the aloofness had turned to paranoia and the defensiveness had multiplied tenfold. He kept whatever was going on inside his head to himself as he always had, but whereas before Sasuke had communicated with insults and actions, now he didn't communicate at all. There were walls built so high that Naruto had lost sight of his friend and instead could only feel the deadly chakra that surrounded him.

Naruto didn't think that their friendship had been one-sided all along, because Sasuke had admitted at the Valley of the End that there was a bond between them. Of course, Sasuke had tried to kill him right after that. Sasuke hadn't killed him, though, even though he'd had the opportunity when Naruto had lost consciousness. Naruto had taken to mean that the bond they'd unexpectedly formed as children was still there. It wasn't strong enough to keep Sasuke from leaving, but it was better than nothing.

The friendship could very well be one-sided now, and it made Naruto angry and ashamed to think that he was still so desperate for the bonds he'd craved when he was a child that he'd still cling to it. He wasn't a lonely child anymore. He'd finally been acknowledged and was respected amongst his peers, so why did this one person, this one bond, mean so much to him?

With another roar, Naruto flung the now empty second bottle at the same tree and grinned when it hit the same spot the other one had.

"What did that tree do to you?"

The voice was the last thing Naruto had expected, and when he stood to face the unwelcome visitor, he swayed slightly on his feet.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Naruto asked Sasuke, who stood on a higher branch and looked down his aristocratic nose at Naruto.

Sasuke was completely masking his chakra, which explained why Naruto hadn't sensed him. Not that he'd been paying attention. The alcohol didn't help either, though it didn't incapacitate him as much as it would most people. He had the fox to thank for that.

"You didn't show up for work," Sasuke said, as if that would explain everything.

"Don't tell me you were worried," Naruto sneered, too drunk to mask his emotions and too angry to care.

"No," Sasuke said. "Not many people worry about you, I would think."

It hurt that Sasuke would use something Naruto had told him when they were eight to get a rise out of him now, and it sparked the desire to hurt back just as much. He resisted it, because it was obvious that Sasuke had come looking for a fight and, as good as fighting with Sasuke would feel, Naruto was not willing to indulge in something that might very well get him killed.

"Get lost, Sasuke. Go bother someone who gives a damn."

Sasuke's mouth curved into a sneer and he jumped down to stand very close to Naruto.

"Is that the alcohol talking, Naruto? I bet that was another valuable lesson from your drunk of a teacher. Besides, I wouldn't have thought that you went to all that trouble to bring me back because you didn't 'give a damn'," Sasuke said.

Naruto's hands clenched and unclenched, itching to go for a kunai or two, anything to wipe the sneer off Sasuke's face. The Uchiha wasn't engaging in good-natured teasing anymore. He meant to hurt and was taking a very direct route to do it.

"It must suck to be stuck with grudges that aren't yours," Naruto said, finally giving in to the desire to retaliate.

"Not really," Sasuke replied. "It gives me a healthy respect for those I should be on the lookout for, and those idiots, like you, that I should stay away from."

"If I really am the idiot you claim me to be, you wouldn't be standing here today. You would still be cowering inside your mind while Orochimaru did whatever he wanted with your body."

Sasuke's response was immediate, and Naruto cursed the alcohol still clouding his mind as he found himself on his knees with the left side of his face throbbing and his lip bleeding.

"Do you even want to be here?" Naruto said as he got to his feet, finally asking the question that had plagued him ever since Sasuke had woken up. "Would you have rather stayed as Orochimaru's host?"

Sasuke chuckled and closed the distance between them so that their faces were almost touching. Naruto stepped back, but Sasuke's hand closed on the front of Naruto's shirt and pulled him close.

"Do you regret bringing me back?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto wanted to answer that no, he didn't regret it, but he wasn't entirely sure that was the answer.

"It's ok, Naruto, you can tell me the truth. I'm more trouble than I'm worth, aren't I? I bet you wish you'd left me in Oto to continue cowering inside my mind," Sasuke said.

Naruto opened his mouth to protest, but the shifting in Sasuke's eyes caught his attention instead. He half expected to be staring into Sharingan red, but instead found himself staring into cruel eyes tinted gold.

"You _should _regret bringing me back, Naruto-kun."

Naruto felt pressure on his stomach, right over the seal that kept the fox trapped inside of him. His breath was knocked out of his lungs as the world exploded into fire, just as it had when Orochimaru had done this to him during the Chunin exam. He desperately tried to crawl his way back to himself, but the power of his demon was overwhelming and he was soon being swept away by it.

The last thought he had before unconsciousness took him was "Oh, shit."

* * *

So there you have it. I know it's not nice to leave you, my loyal readers, with this kind of a cliffhanger, but if I'd kept writing I would have ended up with a 20 page chapter. The good side of this is that the next chapter is mostly in my head already.

Until next time, and don't forget to review!

* * *


	16. Battlefields

Greetings!

I'm happy to inform you that this story isn't dead, though I did consider putting it to rest a while back. You see, I don't like writing AU stories. When I started this two years ago, it was only slightly AU. It has since then become very AU and I had reservations about continuing it. Yes, I know, that's what I get for taking forever and a day to finish a story. So after a marathon session of re-reading the entire thing (and fighting the urge to change half of it) I decided that it'd be a shame to kill it. So, here's the next installment.

Posted date: 5/17/09

* * *

**Chapter 16: Battlefields**

They got to Inoue-san's shop in, what seemed to Sakura, the blink of an eye. Kakashi led her to the roof of the building directly opposite the shop, where they found the ANBU Kakashi had left stationed. The woman stood up when they approached.

"Is Uchiha still inside?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes. No one has left since you dropped him off this morning," she answered.

A wave of relief so powerful swept through Sakura, making her almost giddy.

"Ok, you're dismissed," Kakashi said.

The woman looked as if she wanted to argue, but a harsh look from Kakashi kept her from voicing her thoughts. Instead, she nodded curtly and was gone. They jumped down and were at the door to the shop when Kakashi put a hand on her shoulder.

"Be prepared, Sakura. Sasuke might not react well to seeing us," Kakashi said. "He's our friend, but if he shows signs of not being himself, restraining him has to take top priority."

"I understand," Sakura said, though it was hard for her to admit it.

Kakashi entered first. By the time Sakura was inside, Inoue-san had come to the front to greet them.

"Sakura, is something wrong?" the man asked.

Sakura shook her head and gave the shopkeeper a smile. "We were just wondering if Sasuke wanted to go to lunch with us."

Inoue-san returned the smile. "Let me get him for you," the man said and disappeared into the back room. Shortly after, Sasuke emerged, Inoue-san trailing him.

"Kakashi, Sakura, what are you doing here?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura peered into his thankfully black eyes and smiled again. "Hungry?"

"No," Sasuke replied.

"You haven't eaten yet, have you?" Kakashi said and took a step closer to Sasuke. "You're thin enough as it is, you should come join us."

"Why, so people can refuse to let me into their restaurants?" Sasuke countered.

"What's the matter, Sasuke, afraid of a little rejection?"

Before Sakura could react, Kakashi had a kunai in his hand and had slashed it across Sasuke's throat.

"Kakashi!" Sakura yelled at the same time Inoue-san gasped in surprise.

Instead of blood pouring from the artery Kakashi had just cut, however, there was a pop and a puff of smoke. Kakashi cursed.

"A shadow clone?" Sakura asked.

"A very well made shadow clone," Kakashi said. "Sorry to disturb you," he said to Inoue-san and left the shop. Sakura turned to leave as well, but Inoue-san's voice stopped her.

"What's going on? Why would Sasuke leave behind a clone?" he asked.

"I don't know what's going on, I'm sorry," Sakura said, her heart sinking with the realization that Sasuke, or Orochimaru, had to know that they were on to him and had chosen to deceive them while he fled. She left, too worried to bother paying attention to Inoue-san's concerned words.

When Sakura reached Kakashi, he'd already summoned Pakkun. The pug was sitting on Kakashi's shoulder, sniffing the jounin's vest.

"Can you get Sasuke's scent?" Kakashi asks.

The pug sniffed a bit more before raising his head to stare at Kakashi. "It's a small trace, but I think I can follow it," he said.

"Good. Sakura, let's go."

Sakura followed Kakashi and Pakkun, landing on the appropriate roofs or branches by sheer instinct. In her mind, all she could hear was "Not again, not again." She knew that she didn't have time for recriminations, but she couldn't help but wonder what went wrong. Was the seal not designed well enough? Should she have done it differently? Did Naruto not place it right? Did they not take everything into consideration that they should have? Question after question kept chasing itself in her mind, while at the same time, the fear that Sasuke may not emerge whole from this latest encounter worked its way up from the depths of her soul.

"Shouldn't we tell Naruto?" Sakura said. "His sense of smell is just as good, and he might be able to help find Sasuke."

"They're together," Pakkun said. "I can smell them both."

Sakura missed her footing on the next branch and had to summersault a couple of times to get back to her feet. Naruto and Sasuke being together could either be the break they needed, or it could be a catastrophe.

Pakkun veered off to the right and stopped on the branch of one of the trees. He sniffed around the trunk and motioned to a spot with his paw.

"Naruto's blood," he said.

Sakura kneeled to look at the indicated spot and saw a few, thankfully small, drops.

"They fought here," Sakura said, her voice soft and barely heard.

"Yes, but was it Naruto and Sasuke or Naruto and Orochimaru?" Kakashi asked.

As Sakura got to her feet, something blowing in the wind above her caught her attention. A forehead protector had been pinned to the tree with a kunai. When Sakura leaped up to get it, she gasped as she realized that there was something else with the forehead protector. She cradled Naruto's necklace in her hand and ran her fingers over the green stone, which was dull and lifeless now that it wasn't hanging around its owner's neck.

"Naruto would not have taken this off willingly," Sakura said.

"No," Kakashi sad. "This is a message."

Pakkun spoke before Sakura could say anything. "The scent that I got from your vest stops here," the dog said to Kakashi. "Naruto's scent, however, does not. It's mixed with another scent; one I can't entirely identify, but would guess is Sasuke's."

Kakashi's hands clenched, and when he looked at Sakura, there was no missing the fear in his eyes. They locked eyes for a long moment, and when Kakashi broke eye contact, his expression had become the detached and emotionless one expected of a ninja on a mission. Sakura braced herself for what was to come.

"From now on, we will operate under the assumption that Orochimaru has taken over Sasuke's body once again and has injured and taken Naruto with him. Our goal is to retrieve Naruto and get him back to the village."

"What about Sasuke?" Sakura asked, already knowing, from Kakashi's tense shoulders and clenched jaw that she wasn't going to like the answer.

"If we can capture him, we'll take him back to the village. If we can't, we will kill him."

Sakura gasped. "We can't do that. The body is mainly Sasuke's, Kakashi. We need to give him a chance to fight Orochimaru.

"Sasuke is obviously not fighting back at the moment," Kakashi said, his anger making Sakura take a step back. "Sakura, we know that Orochimaru was planning to attack Konoha along with Kirigakure. When the troops see that they have their leader again, they'll be a lot more willing to sacrifice themselves, which will mean more deaths for Konoha. Do you want that?"

Sakura shook her head.

"Besides, would you be willing to leave Sasuke to be Orochimaru's host yet again? Sasuke was willing to kill himself to keep Orochimaru from taking over again. Now that he has, don't you think we should honor Sasuke's wish?"

Sakura could feel the pinprick of tears in her eyes, but she fought them. She was a ninja, damn it, a well-trained one at that. She would not break down.

"Yes," she finally said, "we should."

"Very well, then. Pakkun, you can still track Naruto, right?"

The dog nodded.

"Lead the way."

* * *

Nara Shikamaru was hungry, dirty, and exhausted, and he was looking forward to getting back home. He'd already transmitted what he'd found to the Hokage via Kakashi's clone, so all he was looking forward to now was a hot shower and a long sleep. He was a half day out of Konoha, and if he'd had a little more energy, he'd have made the distance in just a few hours. As it were, however, he was just content to place one foot on the right branch before he fell and broke his neck.

He was fantasizing about what he'd eat as soon as he got back when the pug that suddenly popped into existence beside him made Shikamaru jerk in surprise.

"What the hell?"

"You should come with me," the dog, which Shikamaru recognized as one of Kakashi's ninken said. "Kakashi said you'd just come back from the West, where Naruto's scent is leading us. You might have some information."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at the dog, trying to puzzle out what it had said. One piece caught his attention. "Naruto left the village?"

"He was taken," Pakkun replied.

"Who took him?" Shikamaru asked, anger and worry for his friend both rising to the surface.

"Kakashi can better explain that to you," the dog said. "He's close by, so if you follow me, I can take you to him."

Shikamaru continued to stare at the pug, uncharacteristic indecision paralyzing him momentarily. He was in no condition to keep going, but, if their roles were reversed, Naruto wouldn't turn his back on Shikamaru.

"Ok, lead the way."

Two hours later, Shikamaru came up to Kakashi and Sakura.

"Nice job of finding him, Pakkun," Kakashi said, and then turned to Shikamaru. "Since you hadn't returned to the village after your mission, I thought we'd find you around here."

Shikamaru glanced at Kakashi, and his gaze then landed on Sakura. He didn't know her as well as Naruto did, but he'd seen them together often enough to recognize that there were only two people in her life capable of putting that lifeless and detached look on her face. One of them got himself into trouble more often than not and the other one had, until recently, been a traitor.

"Let me guess," Shikamaru said, "whatever happened to Naruto has something to do with Uchiha, doesn't it?"

Shikamaru was looking at Sakura, so he didn't miss her flinch. Damn it, he hated always being right.

Kakashi ended up being the one to tell him what had taken place. When he was done, Shikamaru was furious.

"I knew that bringing him back had been a mistake," he said, and both of his companions glared at him. "I know that Uchiha is important to you two, and to Naruto, but you should have known the risk involved in bringing someone back when you knew there was a possibility of this happening."

"It shouldn't have happened," Sakura said, her voice as sharp as the glare she gave Shikamaru. "Our work was not incomplete. Orochimaru's soul should have been completely destroyed."

"You created a technique, and neither you nor Naruto had any way to know whether it would work," Shikamaru countered. "It obviously didn't, and if Orochimaru is now taking Naruto to the Kirigakure ninja I was observing a day ago, ninja that just recently tried to kill him, there's a very good chance that he'll be dead by the time we get there."

"Don't you think I know that?" Sakura's voice cracked, and the anguish that momentarily crossed her features made Shikamaru feel a bit guilty about what he'd said. "Don't you think that I've already been through the theory a hundred times in my head, wondering what we missed? I don't want Naruto dead any more than I want Sasuke dead. You don't have to understand, Shikamaru, you just have to help."

"I'll help Naruto, but Uchiha can go to hell for all I care," Shikamaru spat, knowing that, if it came down to it, he'd have no problem choosing Naruto over Uchiha.

"Enough," Kakashi said, and even Shikamaru had to react to the elder ninja's commanding tone. "Pakkun is tracking Naruto's scent to the West, and since we know there is a base of enemy ninja in that direction, it's safe to assume that Orochimaru is headed there to reunite with his troops. Tell us what we're up against, Shikamaru."

"It wasn't what I expected, to tell you the truth," Shikamaru explained. "It's a small base, with only about 100 soldiers, plus a handful of scientists."

"What would scientists be doing on a battlefield?" Sakura asked.

"I asked myself that same question, so I went to the tents they had set up to investigate. I'm no expert, but from the experiments I saw, I'd say they were developing biological weapons."

The information hung in the air for a long moment as each ninja contemplated what that meant. Sakura was the first to break the silence.

"Did you see Kabuto there?" she asked.

"No," Shikamaru replied, "but that's not to say that he wasn't there at some point. He certainly has the knowledge for biological warfare."

"Can you lead us there?" Kakashi asked and Shikamaru nodded.

"We'll get there, scope out the territory, and then plan our next move," Kakashi added.

With nods of agreement, the three picked up their pace and hoped to make it before it was too late.

* * *

When Sasuke came back to himself, he was mid leap and disoriented. A branch was coming up fast, but he was out of position to land on it properly. He twisted his body and would have made it, if not for the extra weight hanging over his left shoulder. He was only able to touch the branch with his right foot before the weight pulled him down. The next branch wasn't too far below and he landed on his back with a thud. Sasuke hissed in pain before his attention was drawn to the body that hit the branch beside him.

"Naruto," Sasuke said as he realized who he'd been carrying.

The blonde did not respond. His hair, which was no longer being held back by the Konoha forehead protector, stuck to his sweaty face. His black shirt was torn in the front, and the necklace he usually wore was not around his neck. The only visible sign of injury, however, was a bruise on the side of Naruto's face.

"Hey, Naruto, wake up."

When the blonde didn't react, Sasuke tapped Naruto's cheek, but there was still no response. Sasuke performed a quick diagnostic and found that the only thing out of the ordinary was the strange fluctuation of Naruto's chakra.

The last thing Sasuke remembered was being asked by Inoue-san to put an order together for a client. The fact that he was now well outside of the village with an unconscious Naruto could only mean that Orochimaru had taken control of his body, even if only for a short time. Sasuke had managed to keep it from happening the day before, but Orochimaru must have taken advantage of his distraction while he'd been at the shop. Sasuke tried to get past the moment his memory of that morning ended, but there was nothing there. If Orochimaru had attacked Naruto, who else had he attacked?

Sasuke wanted to run away from the village while he still could. He had never run away from anything before in his life, but Orochimaru was different. Nothing had ever made Sasuke feel as insignificant and helpless as the snake had, and the last thing he wanted to do was deal with the insane ninja. If he was destined to succumb to Orochimaru once again, he'd rather do it as far away from Konoha as possible. Maybe then he could finish what he'd started last night in Kakashi's apartment. Not that he wanted a premature end to his life, but if he could atone for the pain he'd caused his friends by finishing what they had started when they targeted Orochimaru, then his life would be a small price to pay.

He glanced over at Naruto, and his friend's face, slack with unconsciousness, reminded Sasuke of when he'd left Naruto near death after their fight at the Valley of the End. Sasuke had felt a little remorse when he left Naruto then, but his need to attain more power and kill his brother had been stronger than anything else. Staying behind to wait for help or taking Naruto back to the village hadn't been an option. Sasuke found that he couldn't make the same decision now, however, even if leaving Naruto meant eliminating Orochimaru. Something was wrong with his friend and leaving him here could be deadly for him. If Sasuke could make it back to the village and get Naruto in safe hands, then he'd come clean about what was happening to him and let Tsunade decide what to do with him.

Decision made, Sasuke picked up Naruto and slung the blonde over his right shoulder. He was gathering chakra in his feet to leap when a voice intruded into his consciousness.

"_How noble of you, Sasuke-kun. I wouldn't have thought you capable of doing something so selfless."_

Sasuke closed his eyes and forced his mind into that place that had been a refuge for him, but that Orochimaru had tainted and twisted for his own personal use. He found himself staring at the face of the man he'd once thought to be his only chance of achieving his greatest wish and battled the fear and revulsion that bubbled up from deep in his soul. The man looked smug and very much alive. Sasuke stared back at him and realized that his fear was slowly turning into anger. He wouldn't let this man, this monster, hurt his friends again.

"I don't care why you're here or how you survived. This is my body and I'm not going to let you have it again," Sasuke said with more bravado than he felt.

Orochimaru's face contorted into a mockery of a hurt expression. "Was I such bad company?" Orochimaru stepped closer to Sasuke, which prompted Sasuke to take a step back. "I made it possible for you to do great things, my boy. You wouldn't have been able to kill your brother without me."

Sasuke tried not to react to the comment, but a wince escaped his control, which brought a smile to Orochimaru's face. His brother's death, something Sasuke had spent half of his life preparing himself for, was yet another thing that Orochimaru had taken from him.

Orochimaru's smile widened. "You should care about why I'm still alive, Sasuke-kun. After all, you were the inspiration for my survival."

The snake walked a slow circle around Sasuke and held his hands out to indicate their surroundings. "I should thank you. It was you who provided the inspiration that allowed me to store a piece of myself in this pathetic little place. If it hadn't been for this, that irritating blonde nuisance that you call a friend would have destroyed every bit of me. Instead, all he did was forever lock a piece of my soul inside your mind."

Sasuke's mind heard the words, but they barely registered as truth.

"How did I not sense you?" Sasuke asked when he could finally speak. "I should have known…" he broke off, not sure of how he should finish the sentence. The thought that his method of survival had also allowed Orochimaru to survive made him sick to his stomach.

"To put it in terms that you can understand, Sasuke-kun, you weren't looking for me," Orochimaru replied, only too happy to gloat about how he'd again cheated death. "You were so eager to believe that I was dead and you'd finally gotten rid of me that you didn't think to question it. You should have known better than to underestimate me."

Before Sasuke could reply, Orochimaru was standing behind him and had an arm wrapped around his chest.

"You should feel privileged, Sasuke-kun. You and I will be spending the remainder of our lives together."

Sasuke shivered at the cold hand that was slowly tightening around his throat and fought his rising panic. He couldn't lose it, not now, not if he hoped to have a chance of fighting the madman that he had delivered himself to long ago.

* * *

Orochimaru returned to control of the body with a grin. Sasuke-kun was remarkably easy to subdue. Underneath all of the bravado and cockiness, Sasuke was just a scared little boy. Itachi did more than enough damage to his little brother to last for a lifetime, and even if Sasuke liked to pretend that he was untouchable, Orochimaru knew how to take advantage of an enemy's weakness.

Naruto lay at Orochimaru's feet, and the sannin grabbed the front of the boy's shirt and picked him up half off the ground. He wanted very badly to snap the boy's neck and get rid of him once and for all before he could cause any more trouble, but Orochimaru needed him at the moment. Naruto had some information that he wanted and Orochimaru knew just where to go to have that information extracted.

Orochimaru picked the blonde ninja up and resumed his journey to the West. It didn't take him long to reach the ninja camp he'd ordered set up. The reaction from the Kirigakure ninja he encountered upon his arrival was deferential, as expected, but Orochimaru breezed past them and headed for the tent where he was sure he'd find the man he was looking for. He wasn't disappointed.

"Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto said as soon as the medic nin had spotted him. "I had expected you to be here sooner."

Orochimaru unceremoniously dropped Naruto at Kabuto's feet. "Sasuke-kun, and that dammed Kakashi, were more trouble than originally expected. Not that I owe you any explanation, Kabuto."

"Of course not, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto said. He looked down at Naruto and raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"I need you to get some information out of him," Orochimaru replied, "information that those idiots that were sent to 'eliminate' him almost destroyed."

Kabuto actually winced. "Yes, that was regrettable," he replied. "The plans to kill Naruto-kun had been made long ago and the change of circumstances was not communicated."

"It's a good thing that you have more than proven your worthiness and loyalty to me, Kabuto," Orochimaru said."Otherwise, I might think that you were deliberately undermining me."

Orochimaru lifted his shirt and molded chakra, which caused the seal to appear, stark against the pale chest. "This seal is the only thing keeping me from completely taking over Sasuke's body, and Naruto knows how to remove it. Use any means necessary to get that information from him."

Kabuto nodded his understanding. "Some of my more 'persuasive' measures have dire consequences," he said.

"I don't care if he dies," Orochimaru replied, "as long as it's after you have that information."

Orochimaru turned his back on Kabuto and left the tent, barely catching the younger man's acknowledgement. He didn't have time to waste on the details, especially when he knew that Kabuto would be thorough in his interrogation.

Not when there was a war to start.

* * *

Please let me know if you're reading. I'd be nice to know if I still have an audience. Until next time!


	17. My Enemy, My Friend

Greetings! I'm very relieved that there's still an audience for this story, so I'm going to do my best to get updates out a little more regularly. As always, reviews are welcome and appreciated.

Warnings: language and a bit of violence

Date: 9/12/09

Edit: There seems to have been a problem with the original posting. Let's hope this time it works.

* * *

**Chapter 17: My Enemy, My Friend**

Orochimaru was not letting Sasuke see through his eyes this time. The young man had screamed himself hoarse in an attempt to get the snake's attention, but the sannin was being uncharacteristically quiet. Sasuke didn't know where they were or what Orochimaru had done with Naruto. He also didn't know how to get himself out of the predicament he was in. Now that he had known freedom, even if it'd only been for a little while, Sasuke wanted it back, and had resolved to fight the snake to get it. The fight may end up in the destruction of Sasuke's mind, but at least he'd go down fighting.

A blood-curdling scream invaded the quiet of Sasuke's mind. The sound left goose bumps on his skin, and when Sasuke realized who it belonged to, he felt himself go numb.

"_You wanted to watch, Sasuke-kun, so have your fill."_

Sasuke's view shifted from the training ground in his mind to the inside of a tent. The lighting was low, so it took him a while for his eyes to adjust. At first, he thought that he'd somehow gotten control of his body again, but Orochimaru put Sasuke in his place as soon as he tried to move.

"_Watch, Sasuke-kun, and know that you're helpless to do anything about it."_

Kabuto stood in front of Naruto with a hand held to the blonde's forehead. The red glow from Kabuto's hand formed a halo around Naruto's head, turning his blue eyes a disturbing shade of purple. Naruto looked to be standing as well, but as Sasuke's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he realized that the only thing holding Naruto against the wooden post at his back was Kabuto's hand. Naruto's hands came up and pushed against Kabuto. The elder ninja stumbled, but his grip on Naruto's forehead did not break. A spark of blue drew Sasuke's attention to Naruto's wrists, and he noticed that Naruto's hands were cuffed with Kabuto's special, chakra-draining cuffs. The more chakra Naruto tried to use, the quicker it would be drained out of him.

Naruto screamed again. When the sound faded, Kabuto spoke.

"Tell me how to get rid of it."

"I won't tell you anything," Naruto said, as if ever word was being forced from his throat.

"Then you're not as intelligent as I thought," Kabuto replied. The red glow from his hand intensified, and Naruto took a breath to scream again. Nothing but a strangled choke emerged, though.

"Why are you doing this?" Sasuke asked Orochimaru, fighting the helplessness, rage, and worry that were building up in his gut. He wouldn't put it past the snake to simply torture Naruto because he wanted to, but Orochimaru was usually more methodical and didn't expand resources unless he had to, and Kabuto was Orochimaru's most valuable resource.

The view changed again, and Sasuke found himself once again in the training area in his mind. He was facing a smug Orochimaru who had his arms crossed over his chest.

"I need to know how to get rid of the seal," Orochimaru told him.

Sasuke didn't immediately know what Orochimaru was talking about. A memory of him starting at himself in the mirror in his family home flashed through his mind, however, which provided a clear image of the seal.

"Why do you need to remove it?" Sasuke asked.

Orochimaru's smugness turned to suspicion and he examined Sasuke as one would a bug about to be dissected. He must have come to a conclusion, because the suspicion left his face.

"You don't know what _they_ did to your body, do you?" Orochimaru asked, leaving no doubt as to who 'they' were. "You never asked?"

It dawned on Sasuke that he had never asked Sakura and Naruto for specific details about how they'd created and activated the seal that had supposedly killed Orochimaru. Now, he was glad that he hadn't. He couldn't give Orochimaru information he didn't have.

"And people said that you couldn't trust anyone. How wrong they were," Orochimaru said. "You don't need to be privy to the details of why I need the seal removed, but I will give you control of your body if you agree to persuade Naruto to tell me what I want to know."

Sasuke shook his head. "No. If Naruto won't tell you, then it's something you don't need to know."

Orochimaru's face contorted in anger, before he caught himself and schooled his features into a mask of indifference.

"You'll save his life," the snake said.

"No, I won't. You'll kill him anyway once you have the information you want," Sasuke replied.

"Suit yourself," Orochimaru said and left Sasuke alone, deaf and blind to the outside once again.

* * *

It was dark by the time Sakura, Kakashi, and Shikamaru made it to the enemy camp. They picked a spot just outside the perimeter of it, far enough away not to alert the enemy ninja to their presence, but close enough to see what they were dealing with.

"There's not many of them," Sakura commented as they settled into their chosen spot.

Kakashi nodded agreement as he swung the binoculars from one end of the camp to another. There were half a dozen tents, but the tents didn't look like they could hold more than a dozen people at a time.

"It doesn't look like they plan on being here long," Kakashi said and handed the binoculars to Shikamaru. "They're probably not even the main attack force, not if Orochimaru really is here. If I were a betting man, I'd bet on an attack coming from the opposite direction, with these ninja as a second wave."

The thought of yet another attack on Konoha by Orochimaru's minions brought images of the last time his village had been attacked and the many lives that had been lost. Kakashi had to force himself to think of something else before his mind went down that depressing path. He couldn't afford the sentimentality at the moment. It was a shame that Orochimaru no longer had a body of his own, because Kakashi would sure love to put his hands around that slender neck and break it.

"We can't do anything here on our own," Shikamaru commented. "It would be suicide to engage any of these men."

"That's why we're not going to engage them," Kakashi said, "not if we can help it. We're here to get Naruto… and Sasuke if we can get him," he added when he saw the pleading look Sakura gave him.

He understood his former student's sentiments. He even shared them to some extent. Kakashi didn't want to kill Sasuke. He wanted to give the young man every opportunity to fight off the snake in his head that he could. Unfortunately, Kakashi couldn't jeopardize the lives of his teammates, or the villagers, for his personal feelings, especially since the person he wanted so badly to save happened to be host to their greatest enemy.

"We need to find out where Naruto is first," Shikamaru, always the voice of reason, said.

" It shouldn't be too hard," Kakashi commented, motioning to take in the camp as a whole. "There aren't a lot of places where they could hide him."

"If he's here at all," Sakura said. "Orochimaru could have stopped here to check the troops and then left with Naruto."

Sakura's face twisted into a grimace when she said Orochimaru's name, but was otherwise keeping herself together and acting as professional as always. Not that Kakashi thought she'd do otherwise. One of the things he'd always admired about Sakura, even back when she was first assigned to him as a genin, was how well she conducted herself. At times, she even put her male teammates to shame. As she grew as a ninja, Sakura's confidence had only soared, making her one of the village's best ninja. Kakashi had never had reservations about having her on a team with him, and he had no doubt that even now, with this mission as personal as it was for her, she'd have his back if it came down to it.

"That is a possibility," Kakashi acknowledged, "but unlikely. Orochimaru has nowhere else to go now that Oto has been destroyed. This camp, as small as it is, provides him with a base from which to not only carry out the attack he's obviously been planning for a while now, but allow him to deal with Naruto."

"Why take Naruto, though?" Shikamaru wondered. "Yes, Naruto is very powerful, but Orochimaru has dealt with Naruto in the past with little difficulty."

"Maybe he just wanted to prove to us that he could," Sakura said.

Shikamaru shook his head. "I doubt it. We all know what a handful Naruto can be when he wants to. If Orochimaru wanted to prove to us that he could get to anyone, killing Naruto would have been a much less troublesome option. Orochimaru wants something from Naruto we just need to figure out what it is."

"That's good then," Kakashi said.

"Orochimaru will keep Naruto alive," Sakura said, quickly picking up on Kakashi's train of thought.

"Until he gets what he wants, at least," Shikamaru said. "Naruto can be stubborn, so we can safely assume that he'll give the snake a lot of trouble."

"We'll just have to find him before then," Sakura said.

"I suggest splitting up," Shikamaru said. "We can cover much more ground that way. We can meet up back here in an hour to check in and compare notes. It's dark, so it'll be easier for us to move around the camp."

"Good idea," Kakashi said. He directed his team in which direction he wanted them to search, and they split up, hoping that when they next checked in, they'd have Naruto with them.

* * *

Naruto didn't know where he was when he woke up, but the fact that one of his eyes was swollen shut and hurt along with his entire body gave him a clue that he was not somewhere he wanted to be. He was not only in pain, but he felt 'off' somehow. He couldn't name the feeling, but his body felt unbalanced. Naruto closed his eyes and focused his chakra so that he could get a better idea of where his injuries were, but instead found the chakra being violently pulled from him. He gasped and opened his eyes to find that his hands were being held together by pair of silver handcuffs. The cuffs were glowing blue with the chakra that had just been pulled out of his body, and a chain carried it away into a silver container.

He pulled at the cuffs, but there was no give to them. A second chain linked the cuffs to a nearby pole, giving Naruto very little room to move around. He tried to force more chakra into the cuffs in hopes that the overload might help him break them, but all it did was drain that much more chakra out of him. The demon's chakra might work better, but Naruto wasn't desperate enough to try that just yet.

Naruto shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position, and ended up sitting cross-legged facing the post he was cuffed to. The entrance to the tent was at his back, which Naruto didn't like, but the length of the chain wouldn't allow him to turn around. All part of Kabuto's plan, Naruto was sure.

"Son of a bitch," Naruto said, thinking of the traitor. "I should have made sure that he was dead when I had the chance."

Naruto grimaced at his sore and aching throat, and felt a rush of shame at the screams he could still hear in his head from the interrogation session. While it was disturbing that Kabuto knew about the seal he and Sakura had created to contain Orochimaru, it was somewhat comforting that the man hadn't been able to figure out how to get rid of it. Naruto made a promise to himself that Kabuto would not find out how to do it from him. He'd rather die first.

Thoughts of Orochimaru eventually led to the conversation he'd had with Sasuke in the woods of Konoha. Naruto had said a lot of things that, while he may have meant them at the time, were more the alcohol talking than anything else. Naruto wondered if Sasuke had participated in any of that conversation, or if it had mainly been Orochimaru pulling the strings.

Orochimaru… Naruto's head dropped until his forehead was resting against the post. He and Sakura had screwed something up with the seal, because there was no other way that Orochimaru could still be in Sasuke's body. Naruto's stomach churned with disappointment. They thought they'd been right. What if their arrogance had made things even worse for Sasuke? What if, this time, they couldn't get him back?

The sound of sliding cloth indicated that someone else had entered the tent, and Naruto tensed. His keen ears allowed him to follow the person's movement until the man was standing behind him. Naruto's jaw clenched and a shiver of fear went through him when he recognized the unique chakra and realized that it was Orochimaru.

After a few minutes, Orochimaru walked in front of Naruto. The snake's face was unreadable, but the volatile chakra radiating off of him was an indicator of inner turmoil. He and Orochimaru stared at each other for a while, Naruto hoping to find some sign of his friend in the golden eyes.

"I hear you're being difficult, Naruto," Orochimaru finally said. "You're not telling Kabuto what he needs to know."

"What makes you think that I know anything?" Naruto replied.

"The seal is made with your chakra," the snake replied. "Feigning ignorance is futile."

"Well, you know what they say about me, don't you? They're right, I am dumb."

Naruto didn't register Orochimaru's hand until it had struck the side of his face, sending him sprawling onto the floor. The impact sent a wave of pain through him and his vision went black for a second. When he came back to, Orochimaru was holding him up by the front of his shirt, their faces inches apart.

"Why don't you tell me what I want to know?" he asked.

"Sasuke's body belongs to him, not you," Naruto said. "You have no right to take it."

"Sasuke gave me his body willingly," the snake replied. "I didn't take him from his village, he came to me."

Orochimaru let go of Naruto's shirt, sending him to the floor once again. Naruto picked himself up and faced the snake. The face was still blank, the eyes still golden.

'Come on, Sasuke, take control,' Naruto silently pleaded, 'I know you can do it.'

"You manipulated him, made him believe that he had no other choice but to come to you for power," Naruto countered. "That doesn't count as free will."

Orochimaru laughed, and it made Naruto shiver. He'd rarely heard Sasuke laugh, but Naruto was sure that if he did hear it, it wouldn't sound as evil as it did now.

"Is it so hard to believe that Sasuke was so driven by his hatred and desire for revenge that he'd be willing to do everything to attain the power to kill his brother and avenge his family? Can you not accept the fact that he valued his hatred more than the friendship you thought you had?"

"Sasuke is messed up, has been since his brother killed his entire clan. That doesn't make him a heartless, cold-blooded killer. It doesn't make him a man without a conscience, without regret. I believed in him when he left the village and I believe in him now."

Orochimaru's face twisted in anger. He sped through a series of seals that Naruto couldn't see, grabbed Naruto by the shirt and then placed a hand on Naruto's stomach, much like he'd done in the forest of Konoha. Naruto felt a rush of power, and then he felt as if he were burning from the inside out. He clenched his teeth and tried to ride out the pain, but it wouldn't stop. Finally, he couldn't take any more and he screamed.

"Tell me how to remove the seal and I'll end this," Orochimaru said.

Naruto was tempted, but he wouldn't betray his friend. He wouldn't allow Orochimaru to take over Sasuke's body once again, not when there was still a chance that Sasuke could beat him.

"Your choice," Orochimaru said.

The pain continued, until Naruto could take no more and he blacked out. He didn't know how long he was out for, but he came around to the sound of his name being called. The burning was gone, but he ached everywhere. Every heart beat sent a wave of pain through him.

"Naruto, wake up."

The voice sounded familiar, and friendly, so Naruto decided to do what it said and opened his eyes. He came face to face with golden eyes. He recoiled, but wasn't able to go very far as the cuff pulled him back towards the pole.

"Calm down, you'll only make it worse."

The malice was gone from the voice, which prompted Naruto to examine the face more closely. The eyes were still gold, but the snake-like slit was gone. There was also a touch of red in them, and a pain and loneliness that most people had never bothered to notice, but that Naruto had always connected with.

"Sasuke?"

The other man nodded. "For now," he added. "I don't know how long I can keep control."

Sasuke formed a thin blade with his chakra and sliced the cuffs off of him. He then stood to give Naruto room to get up. It took Naruto quite a while to get himself together enough to get up. When he was on his feet, he felt dizzy and would have fallen had Sasuke not grabbed him.

"What did he do to me?" Naruto asked.

"Orochimaru placed the Five Elements Seal over the Fourth's seal," Sasuke explained. "Your chakra and that of the fox aren't mixing like they're supposed to. Orochimaru was simply manipulating that."

"Can you undo it?" Naruto asked.

"No," Sasuke said. "Orochimaru has the knowledge, but I don't want to risk probing for it right now."

Naruto looked down at the seal again and closed his eyes. His chakra felt out of control. It felt especially worse around the seal, and it scared him to realize that he couldn't feel the fox's chakra at all. He opened his eyes and turned to Sasuke, but found a kunai pointed at his face. Before Naruto could react, Sasuke flipped it and offered Naruto the dull end.

"What is that for?" Naruto asked.

"Get rid of Orochimaru once and for all," Sasuke said. "Here's your chance."

Naruto shook his head. "Are you kidding? After all the trouble Sakura and I went through for the seals to get rid of Orochimaru? I'm not going to kill you, Sasuke. We'll just have to find out what went wrong with the seal and fix it."

"You're a fool," Sasuke said. "Your sentimentality is going to get a lot of your friends, and maybe even yourself, killed. If I were you, I'd eliminate the threat while I had the chance."

"Lucky that you're not me then," Naruto said. He took the kunai from Sasuke and imbedded it into the pole he'd been bound to. "We need to get out of here."

When Sasuke didn't say anything, Naruto walked into Sasuke's personal space and stared his friend down. "You don't expect me to let you stay here and become Orochimaru's host again, do you? I won't kill you, but I'm also not going to let you give Orochimaru a way with which to kill more people. You are coming with me."

"Going with you where, the village? If they weren't openly hostile to me before, they certainly will be once they find out Orochimaru isn't completely dead."

Naruto started pacing, his mind churning through what could have gone wrong with the seal. "Kabuto knew about the seal, and he was desperate to find out how to remove it. Why?"

"I don't know. I don't even know what you did to me." Sasuke replied. "Orochimaru told me that he hid a piece of his consciousness in my mind…" he trailed off and Naruto could see that his friend was deep in thought. "It was probably the poison," Sasuke continued, "that's when I started having the blackouts. That poison in Kabuto's snakes might have been the trigger to awaken that piece of Orochimaru's conscience."

Naruto grinned. "The seal must be keeping Orochimaru from completely taking over, that's why he wants it removed. Sasuke, if you destroy that remaining piece of Orochimaru, you'll be free of him once and for all."

Sasuke smirked. "You make it sound so easy."

"You're the pride of the Uchiha clan, you can do anything."

Sasuke ignored the comment. "Is there anything you can do with the seal to give me time to fight him. I can't try and destroy him if he takes over the body. He's unreachable then."

Naruto thought about it for a while. "The seal is tied to my chakra. It fed the seal when I formed it, and it's specifically made to keep Orochimaru out. It's possible that if I feed it more chakra it may suppress Orochimaru for a while. Do you think you can take the snake on, Sasuke-bastard?"

Naruto expected a cocky response from Sasuke, but the fear that crossed his face scared Naruto.

"Sasuke?"

"I guess we'll find out. We need to get started now, before Orochimaru takes over again and lets Kabuto do a little more interrogation.

Naruto shuddered. "Yes, we don't want that. Tell me how to get out of here and we can get started."

Sasuke told him the route he'd taken to get there and how far away from Konoha they were. Sasuke also told him where the guards were posted outside and how to get out of the camp and into the surrounding forest. When Naruto thought he had a plan in mind, he approached Sasuke again.

"I need to see the seal."

Sasuke raised his shirt and exposed his chest. Naruto held his hand inches over the seal, but didn't touch it. It glowed blue just from the presence of the chakra that had created it. Sasuke stiffened.

"Do it now, Naruto, Orochimaru is stirring."

Naruto gathered chakra, gritting his teeth at the pain it caused him, and guided it to his hand. When he had enough, he placed the hand over the seal and shoved the chakra into Sasuke's chest. Sasuke's eyes widened and a strangled gasp escaped his throat. The eyes went from yellow to black, before closing. Sasuke slumped and Naruto caught him before he could fall and then lowered both of them to the ground. Naruto was shaking from sudden exhaustion and pain. How the hell was he supposed to carry Sasuke and get them both out of here?

"I guess we'll find out," Naruto said, quoting Sasuke.

He picked up his friend and slowly made his way out of the tent, hoping to make it to the forest before they were both killed.

* * *

Cliffhangers are evil, I know, but we're at a point in the story where things are coming together so we've got a lot of action going on. The end is near, I promise!


	18. Property

I'm sorry for the year-long delay, but life got in the way. There are only two chapters remaining after this and they've already been written. You'll get the next chapter in a week.

**Warnings**: violence, language, some gore

Oh, and I'm really bad at writing fights, so apologies in advance if the ones here stink. You should also be aware that there is a lack of focus on the names of the techniques, attacks, signs needed for techniques, weapons, etc. That is by choice. The fighting stuff isn't what draws me to the manga/anime so I choose not to focus on it. At the beginning of the story I had a lot more time to research it, but I don't want to do it now.

Posted 1/3/11

* * *

**Chapter 18: Property**

"Damn it, you're heavy,"

Naruto briefly considered dragging Sasuke rather than carrying him over the shoulder, but decided that the disturbed ground from the body would draw more attention than what he was disturbing with his feet. He no longer wore Kabuto's chakra-stealing cuffs, but whatever chakra he'd lost hadn't been replenished yet and he felt weak and out of it. Sasuke hadn't remembered much of the journey here, so he hadn't been able to give Naruto much information on where they were or how to get back to Konoha. When he left the tent Naruto picked a direction at random, hoping to make it to the safety of the trees before he was spotted. He could be walking into a patrol for all he knew, but he didn't have the luxury of waiting for the moon to be higher in the sky and provide better illumination. His senses, normally sharp and reliable, were dulled and Naruto wasn't sure that he could count on them at the moment.

Sasuke twitched suddenly, causing Naruto to almost drop him. Sasuke's skin was hot to the touch, which was fitting considering that the young man was fighting an infection of his own mind. Naruto wondered yet again what he would do if Orochimaru won the battle raging in Sasuke's mind. Would Naruto be willing to let Tsunade kill Orochimaru in Sasuke's body? Would Naruto or Sakura be willing to do it?

Naruto shut that thought down before it could spiral out of control. Sasuke would win. He had to win. He was aware that almost everyone in the village thought he was a fool for still believing in Sasuke after all he'd done, but Naruto didn't care. The villagers couldn't possibly understand that Naruto's bonds were few and very precious. He didn't throw them away when they became inconvenient for him.

"You hear that, Sasuke-bastard?" Naruto said to his unconscious friend, "I don't abandon my friends so you better not give up on yourself."

Sasuke groaned, and his body shook as if he were having a seizure. The movements made Naruto lose his footing, sending both of them crashing to the ground. In the moonlight, Naruto could see Sasuke's face contorted in pain and his eyes moving rapidly underneath the lids. He wished that he could help Sasuke, but this was one battle that Sasuke was going to have to fight on his own. Naruto had been so distracted by Sasuke that he failed to notice the foreign chakra until it was too late and he was being pinned to the ground.

"You are a slippery little bastard, aren't you?" Kabuto said as he looked down on Naruto. "What do you say we finish this once and for all?"

Rage flooded Naruto at the sight of Kabuto's sneering face, and the dullness of his senses was momentarily pushed away in favor of the unmistakable rush of adrenaline and thirst for blood that accompanied the nine-tailed fox's awakening. Instead of suppressing it as he normally did, Naruto cajoled the fox into waking fully. Even if their chakra wasn't mixing the way it should, Naruto knew that having even a little bit of that demon chakra was going to help him survive this encounter.

Naruto maneuvered his right leg between himself and Kabuto and pushed the elder ninja away from him. Kabuto twisted in mid air, landing with the grace of a cat a few meters away. Kabuto was armed with two double-edged kunai, and Naruto didn't hesitate to draw his own weapons.

"You're in no condition to fight," Kabuto said. "Give up now and I'll be lenient."

Naruto chuckled, even though he knew that Kabuto was partially right. "I have no interest in being your guinea pig for the rest of my life," he said and charged towards his opponent.

As expected, Kabuto avoided the direct attack. He didn't see the clone Naruto had conjured, however, so he wasn't prepared for the shuriken that flew at him from behind. Kabuto managed to avoid all but one of the weapons, and that one embedded itself in Kabuto's shoulder. With a growl, Kabuto pulled it out and returned the attack. Naruto shifted to the right and dropped, extending his left leg in a kick. He knew even as he was doing it that his reaction time was slow and Kabuto saw the attack easily. The man grabbed Naruto's leg and flung him to the side. Naruto landed heavily and swayed for a moment before getting to his feet. Kabuto was still where Naruto had left him, but the poison needles he'd thrown were centimeters in front of Naruto. He blocked with his kunai but one managed to strike him in the leg and another grazed his cheek. His hands moved in the familiar signs for his signature technique, but instead of the hundreds of clones he would have normally created he created only 5.

"Low on chakra, perhaps?" Kabuto said with a snicker. "I wonder where it all went."

Naruto grit his teeth and tried desperately to reach whatever chakra he had left. There was precious little of his own left and only traces of the fox's chakra. He had to finish this quickly or else Kabuto was going to end up killing him.

"Go to hell!" Naruto yelled as he and his clones attacked. He had to blind Kabuto enough to get one Rasnegan through. If he could aim it just right, it would only take one.

Naruto and a clone worked on the Rasengan as the other four clones attacked Kabuto. He didn't have enough of his own chakra left for the technique, so he pulled on what he could get from the fox. It was painful and felt as if he were pulling out a bit of his own soul as he did it, but he had no other choice. The ball of chakra in his hand went from blue to red and then finally settled on a purplish-black color. It wasn't very big, but Naruto hoped that the fox's chakra would make it more potent.

The sound of the clones being destroyed called Naruto's attention back to the battle. Three of the clones were gone and the last one looked like he was about to be destroyed. As Kabuto destroyed the last one, Naruto kept careful pace behind the clone that had been with him so that Kabuto only saw one Naruto, the Rasengan hidden by the clone. When they got close enough, Naruto destroyed the last clone himself and reached out with the hand holding the deadly ball of chakra. Kabuto's eyes widened momentarily in surprise as he realized what Naruto had done. Naruto sidestepped Kabuto's first kunai and his Rasengan reached Kabuto's chest at the same time that Kabuto's second kunai buried itself into Naruto's stomach. Naruto pushed through, willing the ball of chakra to do as much damage to Kabuto's chest as it could as he pushed it into Kabuto. The elder ninja screamed as the chakra broke through the chest wall, but he still had enough strength to twist the kunai in Naruto's stomach sideways before pulling it out. Naruto choked on a sudden rush of blood in his mouth, and the Rasengan disintegrated. Both ninja dropped to the ground, Kabuto on his back and Naruto on his side, clutching the gaping wound on his stomach. Warm blood soaked into the fabric of his jacket and out between Naruto's fingers to stain the ground below.

Naruto closed his eyes, exhausted and depleted of chakra. When he opened them again, the moonlight was hazy and tinged with black. He looked to the side to find Kabuto splayed on the ground, his glasses broken and his shirt torn open from the attack. The skin of the chest had been burned cleanly through and Naruto could see broken ribs and other internal organs in the chest cavity. The chest was still moving up and down, however, and Naruto was horrified to find that Kabuto's eyes were open and looking at him.

"Good shot," Kabuto whispered, "but I'm still alive".

With strength Naruto wouldn't have thought possible after such a ghastly injury, Kabuto picked up the kunai he'd dropped, got to his knees and would have stabbed Naruto if not for a kunai that suddenly lodged in Kabuto's throat. Naruto had only a split second to see the surprise on Kabuto's face before the kunai was moved sideways, cleanly cutting Kabuto's head off.

"See how you survive without that."

Naruto blinked stupidly up at the wielder of the kunai that had just decapitated Kabuto and it took him several seconds to recognize the long hair and black eyes staring down at him.

Black eyes…

Naruto grinned, even though he felt as if he was being weighed down by a mountain. "I knew you could do it, Sasuke."

Sasuke's face was pale and he looked like he was going to drop from exhaustion at any moment. He flicked the kunai to get the blood off of it and dropped to his knees. "I've wanted to kill that son of a bitch for a long time," he said.

"Yeah, you and me both," Naruto replied.

He coughed up blood and curled tighter around himself, wincing as the pain spread throughout his body. His vision wavered again, and he could see black along the edges.

"How bad is it?" Sasuke asked.

He reached out to Naruto and lifted the blood-stained jacket and shirt beneath.

"By the look on your face, I take it its bad?" Naruto asked, seeing what little color there was left to Sasuke's face drain away.

"It's bad. You're going to bleed to death if the wound isn't closed," Sasuke replied.

He laid Naruto on his back and unwrapped the bandages around Naruto's leg that usually cushioned the weapon pouch he carried there. He folded some of them up and placed them over the wound, then wrapped the rest of the bandages around Naruto's middle.

"These aren't sterile, but they'll have to do until a medic can see you."

Naruto's mouth, which had been gaping in astonishment at the ministrations, closed with a click at Sasuke's piercing glare. There was no trace of Orochimaru in Sasuke's eyes, and the vile chakra that had tainted Sasuke's was gone. The only foreign chakra Naruto could sense in Sasuke was Naruto's own, which would probably always be there due to the seal.

"The snake is gone, then?" Naruto finally asked.

"He was a stubborn, evil bastard who didn't want to die, but yes, he's finally gone," Sasuke replied.

They let the silence wrap around them until cries of "Kabuto-san! Orochimaru-sama!" interrupted their peace.

"I think we've been found," Sasuke said. "Stay put."

Naruto didn't think he'd be able to move even if he wanted to, so he watched as Sasuke got to his feet to face the ninja that were quickly advancing on them. When the ninja reached them, they stared in horror at what was left of their temporary "leader".

"What happened, Orochimaru-sama?" one asked. "Did the Konoha ninja kill Kabuto-san?"

"No," Sasuke replied, "I killed him. I also killed Orochimaru, and if you don't want to suffer the same fate, you'll turn around and go back the way you came right now."

"You're Orochimaru-sama," the ninja said, confusion clear on his face.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke, and I'm a former Konoha ninja. I am your enemy and will kill you unless you go back to your village now."

Naruto saw the conflict on the ninja faces as they struggled between the loyalty they once had to Orochimaru in Sasuke's body and the obvious killing intent radiating from Sasuke now. A few glanced between Kabuto's dead body and back to Sasuke and their hands clenched around their weapons.

"Traitor!" one of them yelled, and it was all it took for the whole lot of them to attack Sasuke.

Naruto lost track of the attack, but every ninja that tried to get past Sasuke to Naruto was killed instantly. One of the ninja must have called for reinforcements because after a while there were too many for Sasuke to handle alone. A few broke through and were headed for Naruto. Naruto scrambled to get to a sitting position and dig a kunai out of his weapons pouch. He had it at the ready but never got to use it. Two ninja wearing the familiar green and red Konoha vest were suddenly in front of him. They handled Naruto's would-be attackers and joined the fray. He felt a presence behind him and had the kunai halfway to the person's throat before the all-too-familiar pink hair made him drop his hand.

"Sakura!" he said, relieved to see another friendly face. "What are you doing here?"

"Kakashi and I followed your chakra and found this camp. We were looking around when we felt your chakra again and followed it here." She gently pushed him back on to the ground, lifted his jacket and shirt, and undid the wrappings. She gasped as she saw the wound and immediately got to work. The healing chakra felt warm and soothing, but Naruto couldn't afford to lose consciousness just yet.

"Shikamaru willingly came with you?" Naruto asked, incredulous.

"No, we ran into him on the way," Sakura replied. Her eyes darkened momentarily but whatever thought filtered into her mind didn't make it out. "You've lost a lot of blood," she said instead. "Why aren't you healing?"

"Orochimaru did something to my seal," Naruto said. "I can't reach much of the fox's chakra."

Sakura's eyes drifted to the battle where Sasuke was and she looked like she wanted to ask something but changed her mind.

"There's some poison too," she said softly, talking to herself as she assessed Naruto's injuries. "I need you to relax and let me heal you enough to get you on your feet and out of here," she said.

"We're in the middle of a battle, Sakura, how do you expect me to relax?" Naruto replied.

"A battle that you can't do anything about," she snapped. "Trust your friends to protect you like you'd protect them, now stop fighting me and let me heal you."

She was right; Naruto willed his body to relax and the blackness that had been lying in wait at the edge of his vision finally overtook him.

* * *

Kakashi ordered a retreat once the ninja they'd engaged had called for even more reinforcements. Shikamaru had picked up the still-unconscious Naruto and headed for the tree line first, followed by Sakura, Kakashi, and finally Sasuke. Sakura could tell that Sasuke was a bit unsure about whether he should be with them at all, but had come at Kakashi's urging. Once they were sure they weren't being followed, Kakashi called for them to stop so that Sakura could treat the minor injuries they'd sustained, and to give Naruto a chance to wake up. Sakura was working on Sasuke's few cuts when Shikamaru spoke up.

"We can't take him back to the village, Kakashi," the young man said, pointing at Sasuke. "He's already betrayed us."

Sakura tensed and the chakra she was using to heal a cut to Sasuke's right shoulder flared momentarily before she got it under control. Sasuke was the only one that noticed it and he raised an eyebrow in question. Sakura sighed in frustration, not wanting to have this argument yet again.

"That didn't look like a betrayal back then," Kakashi pointed out. "We all saw that Kabuto would have killed Naruto if Sasuke hadn't interfered."

"Sasuke is the reason Naruto was in that position in the first place!" Shikamaru insisted. "Don't you get that?"

"That wasn't Sasuke," Sakura finally said. She got up from where she'd been kneeling beside Sasuke and faced Shikamaru. "That was Orochimaru."

"They're one and the same as far as I'm concerned," Shikamaru replied. His face betrayed nothing, but the clenched fists and set of his shoulders told Sakura that Shikamaru was as tense as a stretched rubber band and ready to snap. She didn't want Sasuke to bear the brunt of that when it happened.

"What if it'd been Chouji?" Sakura asked. "What if Chouji had made some stupid decision, would you have abandoned him just because you didn't agree with his choices?"

"Chouji would never have been so blinded as to turn his back on his friends and family in favor of himself."

The words struck Sakura like miniature blades that tore tiny holes in the very fabric of her being. That old, childish crush she'd had on Sasuke resurfaced for just a moment and she was tempted to scream at Shikamaru for being so cruel. She didn't, because the mature part of her, the one that had felt the sting of heart break when Sasuke had chosen his revenge over her, knew that Shikamaru was right.

"Enough," Sasuke said, coming to stand between Sakura and Shikamaru. "I explained what happened on the way here," he continued, "if you don't want to believe that Orochimaru is really gone this time, that's your problem. What you can't ignore is that your village will be attacked and you need as many capable ninja as you can get."

Shikamaru's jaw clenched in anger, but he didn't dispute the statement. Sakura had been so focused on Shikamaru that she didn't see Sasuke move. When she caught sight of him again he was standing behind Shikamaru with a kunai to Shikamaru's neck. Kakashi and Sakura both pulled out their own weapons, ready to use them if they had to.

"I could kill you right now if I wanted to, Nara" Sasuke said to the shocked and angry Shikamaru. "I won't do it because you're not my enemy. In fact, I could care less about you, but you need to understand something: your village is about to go to war and, even if you don't want to admit it, I'm very good at what I do. Right now you need me more than I need you."

With that, Sasuke let Shikamaru go and returned to Sakura's side. He held out the kunai and Sakura took it from him, wondering when he'd reached into her bag to get it. Shikamaru glared at each of them, his eyes only softening a bit when his glance landed on Naruto. Finally, he addressed Kakashi.

"You outrank me and I have a feeling that you're on Sakura's side. Do what you want, but I won't be a part of it. I'm going ahead to warn the village and inform the Hokage of what's happened."

With that, Shikamaru took to the trees and disappeared.

Kakashi and Sakura stared after him, until a soft voice drew their attention back to their injured team member.

"He cares, that's why he's such an ass," Naruto said. He blinked and stared at them wearily as he slowly got himself to a sitting position. "Look, its Team 7 all together again." Naruto smiled, but there was sadness and weariness in his eyes.

"Yes, idiot, happy reunion," Sakura said, with mock sternness in her voice. "Now let me take a look at that stomach wound before you reopen it and undo all of my work."

She kneeled down and began examining Naruto again. She heard Kakashi tell Sasuke that he wanted to talk and both men moved away so that they wouldn't be heard. She stared at the closing wound on Naruto's stomach until it started to waver. She hadn't realized she was crying until Naruto reached up and wiped her cheeks.

"We're ok, Sakura, don't cry," Naruto said.

"You could have died," Sakura said.

"I didn't die," Naruto replied. "I have nine lives, remember?"

Sakura laughed through her tears. "I thought you had nine tails."

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, I have those too."

They were quiet for a moment while Sakura regained her composure. She wiped at her eyes and inwardly cursed her weakness.

"I think it's really ok this time, Sakura-chan. We really have him back now."

Naruto sat up and pulled his jacket down over the wound. He wrapped his arms around Sakura and she rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. She wrapped her arms around his middle and leaned into the warmth he'd always offered but she'd been too stupid to notice and appreciate.

"Don't die, ok?" she asked, her voice muffled by his chest. He heard her anyway.

"I won't," he replied.

Sakura didn't make him promise this time, because she'd long ago lost the privilege to make Naruto promise her anything.

* * *

As soon as they were far enough away from the others, Sasuke felt Kakashi's chakra rise and had enough time to turn around before Kakashi had him pinned to the ground. Kakashi's hands were on Sasuke's shoulders and Kakashi's knees pinned Sasuke's legs below the knee. The elder ninja's Sharingan was uncovered, and Sasuke suppressed the urge to activate his own Sharingan and counter attack. Minutes passed and Kakashi's eyes never left Sasuke's, making the younger man feel as if his soul was being examined, piece by piece and very slowly, like you would examine soil for that single nugget of gold.

After a few more minutes of searching, Kakashi got to his feet and went to recline lazily against a tree. He kept his eyes on Sasuke as the younger man got to his feet and dusted off his clothing.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Sasuke asked.

"No," Kakashi answered.

Sasuke waited for more, but Kakashi remained quiet. Ordinarily, Sasuke didn't mind the quiet, but this time he really wanted to know what Kakashi had been looking for.

"You don't trust me," Sasuke finally said. "Why didn't you back up Shikamaru when he voiced his objections?"

Kakashi lifted a shoulder slightly in what might have been a shrug in anyone else and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You're our problem and our responsibility, Sasuke. We'll deal with you if we have to."

"Naruto and Sakura won't kill me," Sasuke said.

"I will."

The statement sent shivers down Sasuke's spine. He would have expected nothing less from Kakashi, but hearing the older man state it so calmly made Sasuke queasy.

"Do you feel the need to kill me now?"

Again Kakashi didn't answer for a long time.

"Where are your loyalties, Sasuke?" Kakashi finally asked.

Sasuke frowned as a memory suddenly intruded into his consciousness.

_It felt like an eternity since he'd been speaking with Naruto and Sasuke was tired and almost as his limit. Orochimaru was stubborn and hard to kill, and had been stalling for time, hoping that Sasuke would get tired and give up, giving him control of the body. Sasuke eventually realized that he could control the playing field of his mind and he decided to only allow physical combat, no techniques. He'd fought Orochimaru with his fists and the weapons he could conjure up, and Sasuke's youth, speed, and determination gave him the advantage. As Orochimaru lay bloodied and dying on the ground, he'd asked one thing._

"_Where are your loyalties, Sasuke?"_

_Up until that moment, Sasuke though he'd known where his loyalties were. He'd wanted to avenge his clan more than anything else in the world, and therefore his loyalties were to them. That had been taken away from him when Orochimaru had killed his brother, but by then he had been trapped and unable to leave Orochimaru. That is until Naruto had come along and taken him back by force. So where were his loyalties now? _

"_I can still give you power, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru said, sensing Sasuke's hesitation. "There is still enough of me left and I can still teach you every technique that I know so that you can gain power and never be in the position Itachi put you in when you were a child. You can do anything you want to, and we can rule together."_

_Sasuke stepped close to the snake and knelt beside the writhing form. He felt sick and angry at himself for ever believing that being with this man was the right thing to do. He'd been stupid, selfish, and promised himself that he would never make that mistake again. _

"_Enjoy death, Orochimaru," Sasuke said, and dealt the final blow_

"Where are your loyalties?" Kakashi asked again, snapping Sasuke out of the memory.

"My loyalties are with them," Sasuke said, pointing in the general direction where Sakura and Naruto were, "not with Konoha or the fire country, but them. They have more than earned that, and if I'm allowed to live, I'm more than willing to spend the rest of my life making sure that they know it."

Kakashi stared at him for what felt like hours, before he gave one short nod.

"Good. Make sure that you remember that, or else I will correct the problem." Kakashi said and started walking back towards the rest of the group.

"I'd expect nothing less," Sasuke said. "You're a pain in the ass, but I'm glad you're around," he added as he passed Kakashi. He didn't turn around to see the older ninja's reaction but Sasuke didn't have to. The slight dampening of chakra was all he needed to feel.

* * *

Two more chapters to go. Reviews are loved, as always.


	19. Proving Grounds

Next to last chapter, as promised. It's a bit long, but there was no clear way to chop it up. As a result, the epilogue is going to be a bit shorter.

**Warnings**: Sasuke-centric, violence, language. Again, apologies for the lame fighting scenes.

**Random thought**: I started writing this story a long time ago. Back then, Sasuke was misguided and disturbed, but was nowhere near the evil person that he's been made out to be by now. I have always liked the character, I still do, and this story was my way of playing with the possibilities of his redemption.

Updated 1/9/11

* * *

**Chapter 19: Proving Grounds**

Kakashi and team didn't have to get all the way to the gates of the village to know that something was terribly wrong. They hadn't even made it to the outer checkpoint and the air was already tinged with the choking scent of smoke. The checkpoint itself was empty, the ninja on duty no doubt called back to defend the gate. Kakashi made a motion with his hand and his companions stopped and checked out the immediate area around the checkpoint before regrouping.

"I didn't see any bodies and I don't smell any blood," Naruto said. "There is some fire damage, so it looks like our enemy wanted to close off any means of getting in and out of the village."

"They didn't come from this side," Sakura said. "Whoever did the damage here was a small party and they were here very recently."

"We took out the majority of the ones out by the camp," Sasuke added, "and any remaining ones would have had to come by us in order to make it here before we did so they didn't do this."

Kakashi nodded as he took in the reports. The three younger ninja were working well together, they were professional and alert. They trusted each other, which was one of the most important things when it came to working with a team. Even Sasuke seemed to be fitting back into the role that he used to have so many years ago. Kakashi could almost imagine that Sasuke had never left and he'd had these three amazing young people on his team their entire careers.

"Whoever did this probably came from our village, so we are to work under the assumption that we're already under attack and that the enemy ninja have penetrated deep enough to block all four gates, leaving the villagers with no way out," Kakashi said. "We are also to assume that the ninja we left behind will be here before long and that they most likely communicated our presence and escape from their camp."

"We need to round up everyone and take them to the shelters," Sakura said.

Kakashi nodded. He'd been thinking the same thing. "Sakura, you and Sasuke go to the ninja academy and help evacuate anyone that's still there. Then move on to the market place and residential neighborhoods and do the same."

Sakura and Sasuke both nodded their understanding.

"Naruto, I need you to go find the Hokage and have her fix your seal. I can't afford to have you at less than your full capacity in this." Naruto looked ready to argue, but Kakashi's raised hand kept the blonde from speaking. "You'll be of no help to anyone if you can't defend yourself. She can then tell you where you need to go."

Naruto nodded, looking none too pleased to be relegated to a non-battle position but professional enough to follow the orders. Kakashi had no doubt that Naruto would end up in the battle sooner or later anyway.

"I'm going to go find the squad leaders and get a better feel for how bad it is," Kakashi continued. "I'll send my dogs to update you once I know where we stand." Kakashi was ready to dismiss them when a thought popped into his head. "Naruto, I'm going to leave it up to you to update the Hokage on what happened with Sasuke. I suggest you tell her the truth; it's the best chance for leniency Sasuke has."

"I will," Naruto replied, already looking pale at the prospect.

"You're dismissed. Good luck."

The last thing Kakashi saw before he teleported away was the former members of Team 7 giving each other nods of encouragement before the three disappeared from view.

* * *

The village was in complete chaos. Naruto was horrified to see buildings burning to the ground and dead ninja lying in pools of their own blood. He also saw a few dead civilians here and there, but it looked like most had been evacuated from the area. He didn't want to avoid battle, but he had to admit that he didn't feel quite like himself. He was still woozy even though Sakura had healed the wound to his stomach. Naruto saw Lee and Tenten engage a group of ten enemy ninja and almost went to help them, but then Kakashi's voice in his head kept him on course. He was in enough trouble already.

Tsunade was going to flip when she heard about Sasuke and what had happened with that last remaining piece of Orochimaru. Shikamaru had probably already told her some of the story, and Naruto didn't believe that his friend would intentionally lie to the Hokage to make it seem worse. Orochimaru wasn't as dead as they all thought; he took over Sasuke, kidnapped Naruto, and left the village to go to an enemy camp. How could that possibly get any worse? Naruto couldn't prove to Tsunade that Orochimaru was really gone this time. He didn't even know for sure that Orochimaru was really dead, but he trusted Sasuke and believed that his friend had defeated the snake once and for all.

Naruto saw a group of Konoha ninja engaged in battle with about a dozen enemy ninja in front of the Hokage tower and again resisted the urge to join. Instead, he used the little chakra he'd managed to restore during the trip to form half a dozen clones and sent them into the battle instead. He'd learn about the enemy from them and could hopefully help Tsunade with the information.

"Naruto, there you are!" Shuzine said as he stopped in front of the closed door to the Hokage's office. "We've been looking all over for you, Sakura, and Kakashi."

Naruto looked away from the woman's face and shuffled his feet nervously. He scratched the back of his head, a nervous habit he hadn't quite been able to give up yet.

"Is Tsunade in her office?" he asked.

When Shizune nodded, Naruto opened the door and let himself in without bothering to knock. Tsunade was standing by the windows staring out into the battle below. Her desk lay in pieces at her feet and Naruto doubted it had been damaged by the enemy.

"Hokage-san," Naruto said formally. "We need to talk."

Tsunade turned away from the window and her eyes narrowed in anger when she saw him. "Where have you been? Why did you leave the village without authorization?" she demanded. Her eyes widened when she noticed the bloodstains on his clothes. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Ah, that's what I want to talk to you about."

Naruto then proceeded to tell her the story as fast as he could, hoping that he could get everything out without her interrupting. When he was done, he stood staring at her, ready for the blow up that was sure to come. To his surprise, it didn't come. Instead, her jaw clenched and her fists opened and closed at her sides, as if waning to hit something or someone.

"Unbelievable," she finally said, almost to herself. "Where is Uchiha now?" she asked, louder.

"Evacuating the villagers with Sakura," Naruto replied. "He's himself again, Hokage. He's on our side."

"You love happy endings, don't you, Naruto? I hate to be the one to tell you that they don't always happen."

She made her way over to him and, for a moment, thought that she was going to hit him. Instead, she reached for his jacket.

"Let me fix the seal. The procedure will knock you out for a while, so let's get it over with."

"Wait!" he said and stepped away from her grasp. Three of his clones had been destroyed and their knowledge had just made it to him. "The ninja outside the tower are the ones we encountered in Otogakure, which means that the ones attacking the other side of the village were the ones coming from the west. When did the attack begin?"

Tsunade grit her teeth loud enough that Naruto could hear it. "It started yesterday in the West gate, as you and Kakashi had told us after your trip to Otogakure. We were waiting for them, but there were more than anticipated and they quickly overran our defenses. The second wave came this morning and, from what you and Shikamaru tell me, there's another wave coming, right?"

Naruto nodded. "The last wave is significantly reduced in numbers. Kabuto is dead and Kakashi, Shikamaru, and Sasuke took out half of them before I passed out. If we can defeat the two waves of ninja that already made it to the village, we can concentrate on the remaining and head them off before they even get here."

"Then don't sleep for too long and get your ass out there to help," Tsunade said.

She made the necessary seals, lifted Naruto's jacket and pressed her hand against his stomach. He felt the world shift as the chakra pathway between himself and the fox was restored, but the rush of demon chakra was too much for him to handle and he passed out.

* * *

Sasuke had left Sakura at the hospital, where they were desperately in need of medics to handle the wounded. He hadn't wanted to leave her, but she'd told him that she was better utilized doing what she did best: healing people. He agreed and headed out to the academy to look for any stragglers. He didn't find any, so he headed into the market place. He hadn't had any luck getting the few people that he did find to come with him, as he had no authority over the villagers and they seemed rather fond of dying rather than going with him. Sasuke scoffed at their foolishness, but if they were too proud or scared to let him lead them to safety, that was not his concern.

A loud cry caught his attention and Sasuke turned just in time to see a ninja use a fire technique to destroy a restaurant. A five-year-old child stood where the entrance had once been and screamed at an approaching enemy ninja. The ninja removed several shuriken from his belt and threw them at the child, but Sasuke got there first. He blocked the shuriken with a kunai Sakura had given her, and then slit the ninja's throat.

"Mommy! Daddy!" the child was crying and reaching towards the remains of the restaurant. Sasuke had never been good with children and he didn't know what to do with this one. He picked the little boy up and the child turned his watery blue eyes towards Sasuke. "Mommy, Daddy," the child repeated and pointed towards the rubble.

"Were your parents in there?" Sasuke asked the little boy, who nodded. Sasuke took the little boy to the next building and set him down. "Stay here, I'll get them out."

Sasuke made his way towards the rubble, careful where he stepped so he wouldn't make any other pieces collapse.

"Is there anyone in there?" he called. "Shout if there's anyone alive in there?"

Sasuke heard a faint cry of help from a pile to his right. He made the seals for Chidori then shaped it into a thin blade, which he used to carefully cut through the wooden beams until he'd exposed the woman. She had dark hair and eyes as blue as her son. She recoiled when he reached out for her hand.

"Unless you want to die trapped under there and leave your son an orphan, I suggest you give me your hand," Sasuke said and was surprised when the woman did as he said. He pulled her out and set her down next to the rubble. "Is there anyone else under there?"

"My husband," she said, her voice laced with panic. "He was right beside me."

Sasuke turned back to the rubble as the woman called out for the little boy to come to her. It took a little bit of searching, but he managed to find the woman's husband. He was a little more uncooperative but finally caved in at the sound of his wife pleading with him to let Sasuke help. He glared at Sasuke the whole time, but followed Sasuke's instructions. He ended up finding 7 merchants still in their shops, including Asami, the woman that had refused Sakura service when she wanted to buy him lunch. They were clearly apprehensive at being with him, but the villagers that he'd pulled out of their destroyed restaurant helped in calming their fears.

They were about to leave the market place when Sasuke remembered Inoue's shop.

"You stay here and wait for me, I'm going to check something," Sasuke said to the group and took off at a run.

The front door of the shop was broken and the front room was in shambles. There was some blood on the floor, but not enough to account for a dead proprietor.

"Inoue-san!" Sasuke yelled into the back of the shop, "Are you here?"

"Back here, Sasuke-kun," came the soft reply.

There was some shuffling and the old man eventually emerged from the back room, limping and covered in blood.

"Inoue-san, you're hurt."

The old man smiled. "Most of it isn't mine," he said. "I used to do some fighting back in my day and wasn't about to let a couple of intruders take me down," Inoue-san explained and patted Sasuke's back. "I'm just not as young as I used to be. Glad to see you're back."

Sasuke wrapped the old man's arm around his shoulders and slowly led him out into the empty street. They were halfway to where the other villagers were still waiting when the shrill sounds of a flying kunai reached Sasuke's ears. He dropped Inoue-san and turned to block. He managed to block one kunai, avoid two, but was unable to stop a fourth one before it embedded itself on his leg. He hissed in pain and pulled it out, turning to face the two ninja that had thrown the weapons.

"Orochimaru-sama, what are you doing helping the Konoha scum?" one of the ninja asked.

"I'm not Orochimaru," Sasuke growled, "and the only scum here are you."

He threw the bloody kunai at one of the ninja and watched as the man disappeared in a cloud of smoke while the other one went airborne. Sasuke was too busy tracking the one in the air to notice that the one whose clone he'd destroyed was underground. He grabbed Sasuke's leg and pulled him to the ground. Sasuke quickly subdued him, but not before the other one landed on top of him. He was momentarily blinded when the man slashed at his face, managing to cut a spot above Sasuke's left eye. The blood dripped into his eye, stinging and temporarily robbing him of the sight in that eye. The ninja made good use of the blind spot, but Sasuke could still sense the man's chakra and managed to block the attack. A clone came at him and would have stabbed him in the chest if a villager's right hook hadn't caught the clone in the face and destroyed him. Sasuke turned and, with his focus on only one attacker, quickly disposed of the remaining enemy ninja.

He wiped the blood from his eye and looked at the villager that had helped him. It was the man he'd rescued from the rubble.

"Thank you," Sasuke said.

"I've repaid you for my life," the man replied and helped Inoue-san to his feet and back to the other villagers.

"We need to go to the residential area and gather anyone there," Sasuke instructed when they were all together again. "Walk quickly and stay behind me. If anyone attacks, stay low and let me handle it."

Sasuke quickly went through a number of seals and mumbled "genjutsu". The world went red as his Sharingan activated, but he could see everyone and everything in sharp contrast. There were three ninja to his right engaged with one Konoha ninja. The road ahead was blocked by downed buildings, so they'd have to take another route to the residential area.

"This way," Sasuke said and set a quick pace out of the market place. They'd been walking for a few minutes when one of the villagers he was escorting came up to him. Sasuke turned to him and the man seemed momentarily taken aback by what he saw in Sasuke's face, but he swallowed the fear.

"What did you do back there?" the man asked. "Everything feels cold and looks reddish. It's not normal."

"I put a genjutsu over all of us so that when the enemy ninja look in our direction all they'll see is the background instead of the people. It's not harmful to you, but it probably does look strange. Genjutsu usually look red to me."

The man pondered the answer and then nodded, satisfied. He fell back to where he'd been walking beside Inoue-san and Sasuke had to admit that was the most civil conversation he'd had with a Konoha villager in a long time. Maybe Inoue-san was being a good influence on them. Sasuke returned his attention to the road ahead and saw three ninja lying in wait for them behind a pile of rocks from a neighboring building. One of them turned in his direction and their eyes met. Sasuke knew at that moment that the man also used genjutsu and had seen through the illusion.

"Damn it," Sasuke muttered. He put his hands together and released the illusion. "We've been located," Sasuke told the villagers. "Stay back and don't engage the enemy no matter what happens. If I'm killed, make your way to the shelter. The illusion I'm about to place over you should last until then."

Sasuke didn't give them the chance to speak, as he quickly moved his hands through the familiar signs and he placed an illusion on the villagers he'd collected so strong that it was hard even for him to see them. He hoped they wouldn't do anything stupid and engaged his enemy.

The ninja were good, especially the genjutsu user. It was too bad that few illusions worked on the Sharingan, but he wasn't about to tell the enemy ninja that. The Kirigakure ninja used poisoned kunai, poisoned needles, and poisoned swords, but in the end were no match for Sasuke. The fight lasted longer than Sasuke would have liked, and he'd taken more of a beating than he would have liked, but the way into the residential area was clear now. He found his group once again and led them quickly through the houses, collecting people as they went. When they were done, Sasuke's group had grown to about seventy people, a third of them children and a half a dozen elderly.

Sasuke summoned one of his snakes, a light green boa with white specks named Shizuka that was almost as tall as he was. The villagers gasped in surprise when the snake appeared, and Sasuke was somewhat amused to see some of the younger children move forward, curious about the snake.

"Civilians _and_ children? Sasuke, what's gotten into you?" the snake asked.

It slithered closer to the villagers and hissed. The adults took a few steps back, while the younger children giggled. Shizuka got a little closer to the children and hissed again. A few of the women yelled at their children to get back, but the children were still mesmerized.

"I like the little ones, Sasuke. The old ones are no fun."

"We don't have time for this, Shizuka," Sasuke said and the snake slithered back to him. "Find Kakashi and tell him that I've evacuated the people from the market and the residential areas that didn't get picked up with the first sweep. We're heading for the shelter now, and I'll join him when I can. Get as much information on the enemy as you can and get back to me quickly."

The snake raised itself to its full height, which put its head at Sasuke's chin. "You're so bossy, Sasuke-kun, but at least you let us out every once in a while," the snake said and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"That was cool!" a couple of the children said. "How did you do that?"

Sasuke ignored them and started ushering the villagers towards the Hokage monument where the shelter was.

"Where did it go?" a little girl asked Sasuke as they resumed their journey to the shelter. "Is it going to come back?"

"Can you teach me how to do that?" a little boy asked.

"Yeah, me too!" several more children chimed in.

"Enough!" Sasuke roared, finally getting tired of the endless questions. The look of disappointment on the children's faces, however, twisted something in his gut. "I'll tell you what," he said in a much softer tone, "when this is all over and we're all safe, we'll see what we can do, alright?"

The children beamed and squealed their excitement.

"We have to be quiet right now, okay? Can you all do that?" Sasuke asked.

The children nodded and remained quiet and alert for the remainder of the journey. They ran into a couple more enemy patrols, but they were not as skilled as the ninja Sasuke had already encountered and were disposed of easily. By the time they got to the shelter, the group had picked up ten more civilians and three injured Konoha ninja. They made their way up the mountain and into the shelter, where hundreds of other civilians were already waiting. A few gasped when they realized who was leading in the newest group of refugees, and a few others threw curses his way. Sasuke ignored them, as he had learned to do since coming back to Konoha. He found the ninja in charge, which just so happened to be Umino Iruka.

"Sasuke, what are you doing here?" Iruka asked. "You're injured," the man added noting the blood and bruises on Sasuke's exposed skin. "Let's get you some first aid."

"I'm fine, Iruka," Sasuke said. "Have you gotten all of the civilians to safety?"

"That depends on where your group came from," Iruka replied. "We couldn't get to the market in time."

"Not everyone wanted to come with me, but I got as many as I could," Sasuke said. "I also went through the residential areas and picked up anyone that was left."

Iruka smiled. "Then that should be almost everyone. Thank you, Sasuke."

Sasuke nodded. Iruka was about to say something when Shizuka popped back into existence. Iruka jumped back, alarmed at the sudden apparition.

"Kakashi said to head to the north gate when you are finished here, that's where he and Naruto are."

Sasuke nodded and dismissed the snake. Without a word to anyone, he teleported out of the shelter and followed Kakashi's chakra to the north gate. When he arrived, he was shocked at the carnage. Hundreds of ninja lay dead or dying and hundreds more were still in the midst of battle.

"Sasuke, over here!"

He turned to see Naruto and Kakashi kneeling next to a gravelly injured ninja Sasuke didn't know. The medics arrived shortly thereafter and took over the care of the woman.

"How did Kirigakure get so many ninja?" Kakashi asked. "Surely Orochimaru knew. Can you see if you have the memory somewhere in your mind?"

Sasuke shuddered, but looked inwardly and carefully reached into the mine field that was Orochimaru's memories. He sifted carefully through them, until he found the ones he wanted. He played the memories to himself and gasped in surprise at what he found.

"A lot of them are prisoners of war collected from other villages Orochimaru pillaged," Sasuke said to the ninja that had gathered around their group. "They're not Kirigakure ninja; they're being forced to fight. Orochimaru had a deal with the Mizukage that he would provide the soldiers if the Mizukage provided the training."

"Son of a bitch!" Naruto exclaimed. "We've been killing people that don't even want to be fighting."

That gave Sasuke an idea. He climbed up to the top of a building nearest to the main battle and looked through his memories for Orochimaru's most commanding voice. When he had it, he cleared his throat and addressed the combatants.

"Prisoners of Kirigakure, you don't have to fight and die here," Sasuke said above the sounds of battle. No one stopped fighting, but he could tell that some of the combatants were listening. "Kabuto is dead. Orochimaru is dead. The Mizukage is not here. There is no reason for you to give up your lives for a cause that you're being forced to believe in. Leave now. Kirigakure will not harm your loved ones because they will be defeated, and the Konoha ninja will not harm you if you choose to give up and leave.

Sasuke wasn't sure about that last part, but he hoped that the people of Konoha hadn't changed too drastically from when he was a ninja here. At first, nothing happened, and then men and women started dropping their weapons and running out of the north gate. They were followed by calls of "coward" and "traitor" from the Kirigakure ninja, but when it was all over, half of the combatants had left the village. That made it easier for the Konoha ninja to take care of the remaining ninja, and within moments had subdued them.

"Good work," Kakashi said when Sasuke returned to his former teacher and former team mate. "How did you know they'd leave?"

"Orochimaru kidnapped a lot of them and forced them into this by threatening their families back home. They were here out of fear, nothing else." Sasuke looked around at the crowd that had gathered around them. "Having them think that Orochimaru was ordering them to go helped, I'm sure."

"It was creepy to see you like that, but it worked," Naruto said. "We have to do the same thing with the rest of the groups."

"You two go," Kakashi said to Naruto and Sasuke. "We'll take care of things here."

Naruto nodded and clapped Sasuke on the shoulder. "Come on, creepy guy, let's go."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the new name, but silently followed his blonde friend.

* * *

After four days, hundreds of injuries, dozens of deaths, and widespread structural damage to the village, the battles ended. The ninja that had not given up were subdued and jailed. The last wave of soldiers was intercepted outside of the village and similarly subdued. ANBU were sent to Kirigakure to arrest the Mizukage and bring him back to Konoha to answer for what he'd done. When the man returned and found out about Kabuto and Orochimaru, he was repentant and begged for mercy, which Tsunade wasn't about to give him.

Naruto, who had crashed at Sasuke's house the night before after three days of no sleep, was rudely awakened by a huge rodent who wanted to use his sleeve as a comforter. He shrieked and shook the creature out of his sleeve. He then covered his mouth, hoping that Sasuke hadn't heard him, but the snake that whizzed past him to devour the rodent was all the indication he needed that Sasuke had witnessed Naruto's rude awakening.

"Eww, that's gross," Naruto said, gagging at the sight of the content snake and its enlarged belly.

"What would you have me to do the rat, knock it out and set it free outside?" Sasuke asked.

"Is this your rodent control method, feed them to your snakes?" Naruto countered. "Do they even need to eat?"

Sasuke glanced past Naruto at the snake which had curled into a tight circle to digest the meal.

"They technically don't need to eat, but they like hunting. There's no harm in it, and they do it for free," Sasuke replied.

"It's still gross," Naruto said as he wondered into the kitchen where the smell of burned something assaulted his nostrils. "I'm not even going to ask what you burned in here," he said.

"Good idea," Sasuke said. He eyed Naruto up and down, his mouth turned down in disgust. "You're not going to meet with the hokage like that, are you?"

Naruto looked down at himself wondering what the big deal was, when he realized that he was still wearing his bloodied, battle-worn clothing. He looked up at Sasuke and saw that he was already dressed in the most presentable clothes he could find in his father's old wardrobe.

"I guess I need to change. Meet you in front of the Hokage tower in a half hour," Naruto said and took off for his temporary residence, where he quickly showered and changed into civilian clothes. He was not yet authorized to work as a ninja, even though he'd technically been doing it for the past few days. He wanted to be on Tsunade's good side now more than ever.

He got to the Hokage tower in fifteen minutes and found Sasuke and Sakura already there. They both looked exhausted from the long battle, especially Sakura who had less sleep than he had due to all of the injuries.

"How are the injured, Sakura?" Naruto asked when he got to them.

"They're doing better," she replied. "We had a lot of minor injuries and quite a few major ones, but everyone seems to be recovering nicely."

"You look like you're about to pass out," Sasuke pointed out.

"Thank you, smooth talker," Sakura teased, "every girl likes to hear that."

Sasuke looked at a loss for words for a moment, before realizing that she was making a joke. Naruto laughed loudly, drawing the attention away from Sasuke.

"You'll always look dashing in my book, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said.

"Much better," Sakura said and planted a kiss on Naruto's cheek, making him blush.

Their levity ended when Shizune made her way over to them. "You're a little early, but the Hokage has some free time, so you can go on up to see her."

Naruto's chest constricted and his heart started beating faster. Sakura paled and even Sasuke, who liked to play it cool and detached, looked a little green. They headed up to the Hokage's office in silence, neither willing to speak of the doubts and fears they all had. When they reached Tsunade's office, Sakura knocked and then led them inside. Tsunade was standing by the windows, while Kakashi and Jiraiya stood beside her brand new desk. The hokage turned when they entered and leveled them all with an icy gaze.

"We lost a lot of people in the past few days," she said. "Half of the village is in ruins and will take time to rebuild. We have hundreds of prisoners that we can barely house and a hidden village we were once friendly with that is now our enemy. Sunagakure is going to send people to help rebuild, but the events of the last four days have shown us that we can never again live under a false sense of security. We must use all of our available resources in order to ensure that our village and our allies are safe from threats."

Tsunade stopped speaking and made her way over to the three former members of Team 7. She stopped in front of Sasuke first. "Orochimaru and Kabuto were undoubtedly two of the more vicious of our enemies and they are now dead." She raised a questioning eyebrow at Sasuke and he nodded in agreement. Tsunade then turned to address Naruto and Sakura. "You two never waste an opportunity to disobey my orders and generally make a nuisance of yourselves, but I can't ignore the fact that you are amazingly talented ninja and your loyalty to the village has never been in question. As of now, your suspension is over. I thank you for your work during the recent crisis. We would be burying more of our people if it hadn't been for your bravery."

Tsunade left the young ninja and went to sit behind her desk. She picked up a scroll from the debris zone that was her desktop and skimmed through it. When she was finished, she crushed it between her hands, creating paper flakes that rained down around her.

"That was the record of your interrogation, Sasuke," Tsunade finally spoke. "Only three people, two of which are in this room, read that scroll, and I don't see the need for anyone else to read it."

She paused and glanced at the remaining Uchiha for a long time. Sasuke fidgeted under the intensity of her glare, and Naruto had to elbow him to get him to stop.

"My first thought when I found out about your most recent betrayal was to kill you," Tsunade said. "The only way I have of making sure that you will not betray us again is to make sure you're not alive to do it. You say that the last surviving piece of Orochimaru is dead and all I have is your word, and the word of your teammates and former instructor, as proof. That doesn't give me much to go on, Sasuke, especially when there are many high-ranking members of the council that want you dead."

She paused and fiddled with one of her ponytails. "However, it seems that the fire lord still has a soft spot for the Uchiha name and the prestige that once came with it. He and his council aren't so quick to want you dead. For once, I agree with him. Your actions during the recent conflict saved many civilian and ninja lives and for that I am grateful. You have considerable skill, which I'd be a fool to throw away. The village needs a strong ninja like you and, if you're willing, I can have you work as a Konoha ninja."

Naruto's eyes widened and he turned to stare as Sasuke, who looked as shocked as Naruto felt. Naruto had expected a death sentence for his friend or at the very least a prison sentence, not an offer to return to work as a ninja. He grinned. The job offer was so much better.

"What are your terms?" Sasuke asked.

Tsunade smirked as if she'd expected the question. "You will start as a Genin with a salary to match. I know that your skills are at a level way beyond that, but you'll need to earn the higher ranks just like anyone else. Not many ninja are willing to work with you, so most of the missions you get assigned to will include one of the former members of Team 7, for your protection and for everyone else's. I have a feeling that only the people in this room are going to be happy with the arrangement, so you'll have to live with the scorn from the villagers and your fellow ninja. That's probably enough punishment to last you a life time. There is a 6 month period where you'll be on probation, starting as soon as you leave this office. I expect you to live in the Uchiha neighborhood as you've been doing and be accompanied by an ANBU guard at all times. Jiraiya will conduct regular evaluations and will accompany you on any missions you are assigned to during that time. After the probation is finished, you can do as you please. Do you agree to these terms?"

Sasuke stared at Tsunade for a while and then turned to Naruto and Sakura, both of whom were grinning from ear to ear. Sasuke then turned to Kakashi and Jiraiya, before returning his gaze to Tsunade. He thought it over for a while, but there was not much to disagree with.

"I agree to the terms," Sasuke finally said.

Tsunade extended her hand and Sasuke took it. "Welcome back to Konoha, Sasuke. Don't give me a reason to doubt your loyalty, because there will be no third chance."

"I understand, Hokage," Sasuke said. "There won't be a need for a third chance."

"Wahoo!" Naruto yelled and clapped Sasuke on the shoulder. "Thank you Tsunade-bachaan."

"Watch it, kid," she said, but there was no bite to her voice. "Now, your first mission is to help rebuild the village. Kakashi has been coordinating efforts with the rest of the jounin team leaders, so you are to work under his direction for the time being. Dismissed."

Team 7 left the Hokage's office in much better spirits than they'd gone in. When they were back outside, Kakashi spoke.

"Take the next 24 hours to rest and recuperate. We'll meet here tomorrow morning at nine."

With that, he disappeared. Naruto watched him go and then turned to his teammates. Sasuke didn't have that detached look on his face anymore. He looked relieved and somewhat relaxed for the first time in years.

"I outrank you, Sasuke-bastard!" Naruto couldn't help but goad.

"I can still kick your ass, idiot," Sasuke countered.

"Oh, yeah? Prove it, you Uchiha twit!" Naruto said and childishly stuck out his tongue.

"Training ground 3 in fifteen minutes," Sasuke said and took off at a run.

"I'll be there in ten," Naruto said and also took off.

"Wait a minute!" Sakura called after them, "you can't go off and beat each other up now; we have to go celebrate."

They ignored her and she crossed her arms in irritation. "Stupid men; they can't be happy unless they're beating something up. I guess someone's got to make sure they don't kill each other," Sakura muttered to herself and took off after her friends.

* * *

I like happy endings :-) One more to go!


	20. Epilogue: Full Circle

Well, here it is: the last chapter. The delay in posting this resulted from the fact that I had to re-write this chapter. I'd originally written a short epilogue and was going to post it with a preview of the sequel to this story. Once I thought about it, I realized that canon is so far removed from what it was when this story and the sequel were planned that it wouldn't make sense to write it. Besides, as disappointed as I am with how the manga is going, I'd probably not want to write it anyway.

Thank you all for your support through the years it's taken to complete this story. Enjoy!

Posted 4/2/11

* * *

**Epilogue: Full Circle**

_It is only in the giving of oneself to others that we truly live. _

_Ethel Percy Andrus_

* * *

_Six months later_

The hospital was less crowded these days, but there were enough injured left from the invasion of the village to keep Sakura working double shifts. Being busy distracted her from the litany of items that came up and the sometimes hopeless feeling that overcame her when looking at the destruction and all of the rebuilding that they still had to do.

Sakura was about to enter a patient's room when a familiar white-haired man caught her attention.

"Hey, Kakashi. What brings you here?" she greeted when he had gotten close enough.

"Do you have some time? I wanted to run something by you," he replied.

She peeked inside the room and saw that her patient had his own visitor, so she would have had to come back anyway. She waved at both men and closed the door behind her.

"Sure, come down to my office," she told Kakashi and led him to her home away from home. Once she'd cleared some space and they had both settled on either side of her desk, she spoke. "What's up?"

"Civilians don't normally provide aid during wartime, but I was thinking that we might start a training program where each region of the village has its own first aid responders," Kakashi explained. "That would free up the medical ninja to take care of the wounded in the battle field while assuring that civilians also get the treatment they need."

Sakura considered that for a moment. "It sounds like a good idea, Kakashi, but civilians don't know how to heal the way we do."

Kakashi chuckled. "Of course not; I was thinking more along the lines of bandaging cuts, setting bones, things like that. Triaging the wounded so that the medical ninja could focus on only the worst cases first." Kakashi paused, and his one visible eye glinted with mischief. "I'm sure a highly trained medic like you can teach someone how to bandage cuts."

Sakura's cheeks went red at the unexpected compliment and she smiled. "You're such a charmer," she teased. "It sounds like a great idea and I'll be happy to run it up the chain and see what happens."

"Good. Thank you."

"What prompted it?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi's eye darkened momentarily and he looked away, choosing to focus on the overflowing bookcases of her office instead. He didn't speak for a while, and when he did his voice had lost the teasing edge it'd had earlier.

"When I was fighting to defend the main gate, one of the ninja I was with, an old colleague from when I was in the ANBU, was injured. The medical ninja that had been dispatched with our squad was sent to one of the civilian areas to treat several civilians who refused to evacuate with Sasuke. If she'd been with us, that ninja would have been treated and saved. Instead, he bled to death because we couldn't stop fighting to treat him."

Sakura could feel the emotions churning through Kakashi and she was honored that not only did Kakashi feel comfortable enough to tell her the story, but that he trusted her enough to let his guard down.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi," Sakura said. "Losing someone is hard, but it's ever harder when you know and work with them. I'll see what I can do about getting this training program approved and going."

"I knew you would," Kakashi said, once again his cool and collected self. "If there's anything I can do to move it along or provide support, let me know."

"I will. How is the rebuilding effort going?" she asked.

"It's going as well as it can be," Kakashi replied. "There was a lot of damage to certain areas of the village and no damage to others, which is good. It's just going to take a while to be back to normal."

"If there is a normal," Sakura said.

Kakashi smiled under his mask and the two shared a moment of companionable silence. "So, how is our newly-minted genin?" Kakashi asked.

It took Sakura a little bit to realize who Kakashi was referring to. The words "genin" and "Sasuke" just didn't go well together.

"He has good days and bad days," Sakura replied after a long sigh. "Sometimes he's content and friendly as if he didn't have a care in the world and other times he's reclusive, mean, and distant. You never know which you're going to get."

"I've noticed that too, though he seems happy enough to avoid me most of the time," Kakashi said.

"I think he still feels guilty over what he did to you," Sakura said. "He respects you a great deal, Kakashi, and I think a part of him thinks that you are better off not talking to him."

"What an idiot," Kakashi said. "I'll put a stop to that in no time. How are you coping with everything, Sakura?"

Sakura had to chuckle at that. "I work long hours and keep myself busy. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to have him here, but he's not the easiest person to deal with. Even Naruto with his ever present optimism gets frustrated and irritable once in a while. Speaking of which, I'm meeting them for dinner. Want to join us?"

"Not today," Kakashi said, "but we'll have an opportunity to celebrate soon enough. I'll see you then."

* * *

"I'm going out on a delivery, Inoue-san," Sasuke yelled into the back room as he pushed the load out of the shop. "I'll be back in an hour."

Once outside, he carefully maneuvered the wheeled cart full of wood over the rough terrain of the street and slowly made his way towards the main gate. His delivery would help rebuild the area around the hokage tower, if he ever managed to get it there. The civilians he encountered on the way gave him a wide berth, shouting insults at him as he went. They were still afraid of him, but anger was more desirable than fear and they knew that he wouldn't do anything to them. The more daring of the lot threw rocks at him, but he easily avoided those. Sasuke would love to say that their actions didn't hurt, but all he had to remember was that he brought all of this on himself and keep going.

It had been a rough six months. Nightmares of Orochimaru taking over his body again kept him awake at night, and the nightmare of everyday life in Konoha didn't do much for his waking hours either. Tsunade had been right in saying that no one would work with him, so he'd been told to keep working with Inoue-san until the rebuilding effort was complete and they had missions again. Sasuke didn't mind. He found that he liked making things. It was a pleasant change from all of the things he'd destroyed during his life.

Sakura and Naruto were sticking to him like glue, which was sometimes irritating. They knew him better than anyone else and could pick up on his change of moods fairly quickly. On the few occasions that he had been crippled by flashbacks of his time as Orochimaru, they'd been there with unwavering support and reassurance. He was grateful for them and their loyalty. Sasuke knew that he'd never be able to repay them for that, but he'd vowed to try.

"Sasuke-kun!"

The friendly call brought Sasuke to a halt. The cart, unfortunately, decided not to stop with him and it took some effort to get it under control. When he turned, he found Kan-san running up to him.

"You're a little early today," she said and offered him the bento box she was carrying. "It's a good thing I had this ready."

"You don't have to do this, Kan-san," Sasuke said as she pushed the box into his hands. "I can go home and eat."

"Nonsense," she said. "If it were up to you, you'd never eat. Besides, you saved my family and helped rebuild my restaurant. The least I can do is feed you."

Sasuke took the bento from her and she beamed. He'd been assigned to help rebuild the restaurant district and one of the first restaurants to be rebuilt was the one from which he'd pulled the wife and husband out of the rubble. She'd introduced herself then and was one of the few people who didn't treat him like the other villagers. She'd started making lunch for him a few months after the incident and came to meet him every day to give it to him. He'd told her repeatedly not to, but she wouldn't listen. Kan-san's husband was another matter entirely, but Sasuke was glad she'd persisted. The woman was kind and had a pretty smile. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he enjoyed the daily chats.

"You're too skinny as it is," Kan-san continued.

"You like to exaggerate," he told her with a smile. "Thank you for lunch."

"Take care of yourself," she said as he got the cart moving. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Sasuke waved as she returned to her restaurant and continued to the main gate feeling a little lighter, and hungrier once he'd gotten a whiff of what she'd put in the box. If he finished the delivery quickly he'd be able to go off to his favorite perch and enjoy the food.

* * *

"That's it, guys. I think we're done!" Naruto said to the army of clones he'd created to help build the frame for the house he was working on. "Good job."

"Yeah!" the clones replied.

"I don't think I'm ever going to get used to seeing that," Shikamaru said as he finished his own piece of the frame. "Having one of you is bad enough."

Shikamaru got to his feet and dusted off his clothing. He stretched while Naruto dismissed his clones. Naruto had learned so much about carpentry and building in general from his work on the village and from hanging out at Inoue-san's shop in the past six months. He'd taken what little free time he had and, with supplies from Inoue-san's shop, he and Sasuke had almost rebuilt the Uchiha neighborhood. It was still creepy, and no one was really going to move in there, but at least the buildings looked good for the one and only inhabitant of the place.

As for the rest of the village, 80% of the buildings had been rebuilt and occupied again. Everyone was still cautious and apprehensive, but they'd gone back to their regular lives as much as possible. Naruto knew that it was going to take a long time for that feeling of safety they'd enjoyed before to return.

"So how are things?" Shikamaru asked. "I hear it's been a little rough having Uchiha back."

"You're bringing Sasuke up willingly, Shikamaru?" Naruto asked, suspicious. He and Shikamaru were still great friends, but the one thing they didn't talk about was Sasuke.

Shikamaru shrugged in that typical "this is such a bother" fashion that only Shikamaru could successfully pull off. "He's not going anywhere and I'll eventually get saddled with him on a mission or something. I might as well know what to expect."

Leave it to Shikamaru to be so logical about everything. "Sasuke's fine," Naruto answered vaguely. "There are ups and downs."

"What kind of ups and downs?" Shikamaru pushed. "Has he gotten violent with you or Sakura?"

Naruto had to stop for a moment and think about how much he really wanted to tell Shikamaru. Not that there was anything bad to tell, but Naruto had found that the villagers and the majority of the ninja in the village tended to take Sasuke's smallest misstep and want to turn it against him. Naruto didn't want to think that Shikamaru would do that, but he'd become paranoid as of late and didn't want to take any chances.

"No, it's nothing like that," Naruto answered carefully. "We train together and that's about all of the violence I see from him. He takes his frustrations out on his training grounds."

Shikamaru's eyebrow rose at that. "Is that why you two avoid the public training grounds in favor of the Uchiha training grounds?"

"No, that's not entirely why. It's just easier," Naruto replied.

"It's easier to avoid everyone else, you mean?"

Naruto sighed. "Yeah, something like that."

Shikamaru watched him, and Naruto had to fight the impulse to fidget under the scrutiny. His friend was loyal to the village, but Naruto suddenly realized that Shikamaru was his friend in the same way Naruto was Sasuke's friend. He was asking about Sasuke because Shikamaru knew that he was important to Naruto despite how he felt about it personally.

"They treat him like they used to treat me. It bothers me because I know what it's like to live with that kind of hatred and rejection."

"Sasuke brought this upon himself, Naruto. You didn't do anything wrong to deserve what they did to you. There is a difference."

"I know, and I also know that Sasuke's choices brought him to where he is now. Logic doesn't make it any easier to deal with."

"I hate to admit that I've been monitoring him carefully and haven't seen any signs of him going rogue. If anything, I'd say that he's more in tune with the village and his fellow ninja, and even the civilians, more now than he was back before he defected. He doesn't have that anger that used to drive him."

"Vengeance is a cruel master, and it was all he knew back in the day. It's not something he has to do anymore," Naruto said.

"Let that be a lesson to any of us who lose comrades or family members. Revenge will only destroy you in the end," Shikamaru added.

Naruto's face broke out into a grin, unwilling to ignore a perfect opportunity to tease his friend. "Shikamaru, you're not changing your mind about Sasuke, are you?" Naruto coaxed.

"I don't like him," Shikamaru said stiffly, "and I don't understand why you and Sakura continue your association with him, but he hasn't given me a reason to be hostile."

That was as close to an admission as he was going to get from Shikamaru so he might as well quit while he was ahead. "Are we still on for drinks tomorrow night?" Naruto asked.

Shikamaru grinned. "Same time, same place?"

"Absolutely!"

"Yeah. See you then," Shikamaru said and left the work area for the day.

Naruto looked at the clock on one of the shop doors and started to make his way towards the center of the business district where he was meeting Sakura and Sasuke for dinner. He was the first one there and took some time to examine his surroundings. The buildings were slowly being inhabited again and the merchants had begun to sale their wares once more. The village would recover, but Naruto didn't think that it would ever be the way it was before. There was always a price to pay for peace.

"Hey, Naruto," Sakura called as she made her way towards him, "ready for dinner?"

"I'm starving!" he replied as he caught sight of both of his friends approaching together.

Sakura was radiant in a red shirt and pink shirt, with the black Konoha forehead protector holding her hair back, as always. Sasuke had made a little bit of money in the last six months and had bought himself some clothes that actually fit. He wore black pants and a navy blue, long-sleeved shirt. His forehead protector was wrapped around his left arm and Naruto had to admit that the sight of the hardware brought a smile to his face. He still had Sasuke's original one, the one he'd scratched when he and Sasuke had fought at the Valley of the End.

"I don't need to ask where you want to go, right Naruto?" Sasuke stated.

"Is there anywhere else in this whole village that serves ramen as delicious as Ichiraku?" Naruto countered. "Besides, I get one free bowl every visit now that I helped rebuild it."

"It's a shame you don't eat just one," Sasuke said. "You could save yourself a lot of money."

"Stop it, you two. Sometimes you act like children," Sakura scolded as she led them out of the business district. They'd walked a few steps when a woman's voice stopped them.

"Sakura, how are you?"

The trio turned to see Asami standing outside of her restaurant. She had a tentative smile on her face but avoided looking at Sasuke.

"I'm fine, Asami," Sakura said, her voice hard. "If you don't mind, we're on our way to dinner."

"Why don't you eat here?" the woman asked.

"We've had this conversation before. I'm not eating here without my friends."

"I know," Asami replied. "Why don't you all eat here?"

Sakura turned to look at Naruto and Sasuke, surprise on her face. Naruto wasn't sure how close Sakura and Asami had been before the woman had refused them service, but he had noticed that Sakura seemed a little sad every time she came by the place.

"Naruto wanted to eat ramen," Sakura said, uncertain.

"Its fine, Sakura," Naruto said. "We can eat ramen later."

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke shrugged. "It's fine with me."

Asami led them into the restaurant, which had suffered minimal damage during the attack, and gave them a table towards the back where they'd have privacy. She handed out menus and said she'd be back in a bit to take their order.

"That's weird," Naruto said as he watched the woman move away. "This place has never wanted to serve me either."

"It's nice to see that some people can change," Sasuke said, a knowing glint in his eyes, but he didn't elaborate.

Asami came back and took their order and informed them that the meal was on the house, to which Naruto whooped in delight and proceeded to order almost the entire menu.

"So today is your last day on probation, Sasuke," Naruto said. "How do you want to celebrate?"

"I hadn't thought about it. I mean, there's nothing really to celebrate," Sasuke said. "I haven't gone nuts and taken out the village yet, which is really what this probation thing is all about."

"So let's celebrate that," Sakura said as she undid Sasuke's ponytail. "Let's celebrate the fact that our evil former overlord here is nothing more than a handsome and talented ninja."

"Stop that," Sasuke said and put his hair back up. "Who says I'm a "former" overlord? Maybe I still have plans for world domination?"

Naruto spit out his water as laughter hit him, and then coughed when some of it went down the wrong way. "Figures," he finally said, "normalcy was never enough for you."

"Why do you still keep your hair long, Sasuke?" Sakura asked, fingering the long strands.

"It scares people," Sasuke replied. "Some of the villagers deserve to be scared."

The team laughed, enjoying the fact that they could joke about the bleak past as they worked through it. Their food arrived and they were eating in silence when a child came running across the room and stopped in front of Sasuke.

"Uchiha-san, Uchiha-san," the little boy said, hopping excitedly from one foot to the other. "When are you going to teach us about the snakes?"

"Kenji-kun, stop that," a woman came up to their table and grabbed the little boy's hand. "I'm so sorry; he shouldn't have bothered you."

"It's no bother," Naruto said.

The woman looked scared, and behind her Naruto could see that her husband and an older child both looked like they wanted to bolt out of the restaurant as fast as possible.

"Kenji-kun, right?" Sasuke asked and the little boy nodded. "If your parents don't object, you and whoever else wants to come can meet me outside of the ninja academy Friday afternoon and we can talk about the summons then, ok?"

"Can I mom?" Kenji asked his mother. "Please?"

The woman looked from the little boy, to Sasuke, and back to her husband.

"I guess there's no harm," she finally said. "Just don't keep them too long."

"I won't. See you Friday, Kenji."

"Bye!" the little boy waved as his family made their way out of the restaurant.

Sasuke had a small smile on his face as he watched them go.

"What's this about you teaching Konoha's children about your summons?" Naruto asked. "I thought you hated children."

"There was a group of children I evacuated and they were very interested in my summons," Sasuke replied. "It struck me that the younger generation was non-judgmental and accepted me simply as the person guiding them out of danger. It won't hurt to educate them a little bit".

Sakura and Naruto were both grinning. "Sasuke has a soft spot," Sakura said. "I think you'll be great with kids."

"As long as he doesn't scare them to death," Naruto added, still grinning.

"Both of you shut up and eat," Sasuke said. "The food is getting cold."

* * *

At midnight, the official end of Sasuke's probation, Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, and Sasuke gathered on the roof of the Uchiha main house. The sky was clear and the moon and stars provided all of the illumination the group of ninja needed. Kakashi and Naruto brought sake, Sakura brought home made snacks, and Sasuke brought store-bought snacks. He was learning how to cook, but so far his attempts had only resulted in burned concoctions that were better off buried for all eternity. The group settled down in a circle, sharing in food and drink and stories. Sasuke learned a lot about his friends during that time and he told them a little bit about what he'd seen and learned while on his own. His instinctive desire to keep information about himself close was hard to fight, but he couldn't really form the bond with the two people he'd sworn his loyalty to if he didn't share a part of himself as well. It hadn't been easy for any of them, and they had stumbled along the way and had fights and screaming matches, but they were learning. Sasuke wouldn't have it any other way.

"Who would have thought that we'd be sitting here someday, celebrating friendships and freedom," Naruto said.

"Life has a funny way of coming full circle, doesn't it?" Kakashi said. "The past teaches us but the future awaits us."

The three younger ninja stared at Kakashi for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"That sounds like something out of a stupid greeting card, Kakashi," Sasuke said. "Here, have more sake."

The elder ninja took the offered drink and downed it in one gulp. Sasuke took a drink as well and let himself get comfortable with the buzz that the drink brought. He had never felt like he was a part of something, not even when he'd originally been on Team 7. Back then, his revenge had kept his walls up, never giving him the opportunity to build a relationship with his team. He now wanted that relationship and was prepared to do what it took to make it happen.

"To freedom," Naruto said and raised his cup.

"To freedom," the others repeated.

They stayed on the roof drinking and sharing stories until the sun rose and it was time to go back to work again.

* * *

**The End**

This officially marks the completion of all of the stories I have posted on this site, so it's a good time to step away from fanfiction writing. Hopefully another fandom will strike my fancy at some point to draw me back into it.


End file.
